Gospel Manhood - part 2

What is a “saving relationship?”

Perhaps even better stated is “What is Salvation?” Perhaps we ask as the Philippian Jailer did of Paul - “What must I do to be saved?”.

Acts 16:25-34 ESV

25: About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
26: and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened.
27: When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
28: But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here."
29: And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.
30: Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31: And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."
32: And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
33: And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.
34: Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

Here we see a clear picture of the process of salvation. God in His infinite Grace extends a call, The Gospel is preached, the jailer responds – not just in word but with ACTION!

So that we don't get the mistaken idea that somehow the jailer saved himself by his acceptance, belief and confession we need the whole counsel of God revealed by Paul in Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2:1-10 ESV

1: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
2: in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience--
3: among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
4: But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5: even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved--
6: and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7: so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9: not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

The key to this passage is to understand that dead men can do nothing!