_{by Trent - from Dec 05}

"Scripture statements concerning the nature of God...affirms His unity....But the Scripture as plainly affirms the distinction of persons in the Godhead. 'Unity in plurality and plurality in unity' is the great assertion here...it must not be forgotten or denied, that there are continually exhibited within [the Bible's] pages, in bold relief, truths seemingly opposed to each other...The twofoldness of truth as offered to our view in Holy Writ, is one strong argument of its not being the work of man. It is the glory of man's intellect to produce ONENESS. ..." (Robert Govett, "The Twofoldness of Divine Truth," Norwich, 1892)

Most church-goers seem to think that salvation is getting forgiven, and that is the extent of it.

"God forgives people so that they get to go to heaven even though He would otherwise be really mad that they sinned."
I would estimate that at least 8 out of 10 church-goers would say something similar, wouldn't you?

I look at getting forgiven as just an appetizer. Reconciliation doesn't really feed anybody's hungry soul. One can be forgiven and reconciled but not really saved. In fact, everyone is reconciled though many have been saved of nothing. Even our famous John 3:16 shows that salvation isn't a clean and dirty issue, but a life and death issue.

If we have died of cancer and someone finds the cure, what good is it to us? Sure, they could administer the cure to us, but what good is that to a corpse?

Our cancer is sin and the wage of sin is death. So what good is it if someone comes along and rids us of what killed us? Are we not still dead?

Provided that we have died of cancer and someone finds a way to revive us, but has no cure for cancer, then why even bother reviving us? Take a dead cancer victim and give them life, while they still have cancer, and they will shortly die again. Perhaps immediately die again.

Through salvation we are taken from death to life, does not come without the cure for what killed us to begin with. In fact our remedy is really two-fold. Thus it is written:

Romans 5:10
"For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!"

I am putting the emphasis on the part of the equation that scripture emphasizes - salvation by His Life!