The Bible covers many different topics like creation, future events, suffering, happiness, marriage, sexuality, sin, worship, relationships with others, etc. But the central theme could be called "salvation history." The spiritual matter of salvation is anchored in a context of historical events. This is the reason for all the other information that we have in the Bible. It forms the setting or context for presenting the message of salvation, and it is a part of that message.

All else is vain in life, if in the end I am lost eternally. Jesus asked, "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36.) Many too quickly and easily give up their salvation. They sell their birthright as Esau did. (Genesis 25:31-33.) The Hebrew writer mentioned this event years later by saying:

"Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled, lest there be any fornicator or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected for he found no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with tears." (Heb. 12:14-17.)

The "place of repentance" could refer to either Isaac or Esau. However, it seems that Esau did penitently seek forgiveness and the firstborn birthright from his father. Esau could not now effect any change once the blessing had been given to Jacob. He forever forfeited his birthright by one foolish and careless act. In like manner, the writer is warning people today lest any fail of the grace of God. Do not easily or quickly give up your "birthright" or the gift of salvation for a little of this world.

To choose sin over salvation is like the swine who choose the scraps and peelings over pearls. Jesus said, "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast you your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rend you." (Matt. 7:6.) Dogs and swine cannot comprehend holy things or the value of precious things like pearls. Many human beings are like that. They prefer the scraps of the world to the jewels of heaven. Do not be like the dogs and swine! Nor like Esau of old!

In an effort to approach this significant subject, I have chosen the following method. I want to emphasize those passages that say where salvation arises, from whence it comes. The Bible does not say that salvation comes from just one source, but from several different places. There is, however, only one Giver of Life.

"I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians; both to the wise and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Rom. 1:14-17.)

"Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls, of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you. . . Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, which things the angels desire to look into." (1 Peter 1:9-12.)

Romans 10 discusses salvation, as first applied to Israel of old and also to us today. The Law and the Gospel teach that the Word of God is nigh mankind. (Deut. 30:11-14, Rom. 10:6-10.) We should believe that Word and receive it. If we believe it and confess with our mouth, we do so unto salvation. Paul then gave several important items involved in one believing the Word of the Gospel. They are calling, believing, hearing, the preacher, those sending him, and his message. He then wrote, "So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." (Rom. 10:17.)

The importance of the Gospel message is made clear by the story Jesus told in Luke 16. He told the story about the rich man and the beggar because the Pharisees were covetous people and they derided Jesus’ teachings about the difficulty of riches. (16:14.) Many under the Old Testament had come to the false conclusion that riches were a sign of God’s blessings and acceptance. The rich man pleaded with Abraham to send someone from the grave to warn his brothers on earth. Abraham refused saying that they have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. (16:29-31.) This message ends with the clear statement that the message of God now being proclaimed is all the we will receive unto the day we stand before God. Nothing else will be given to try to convince us. The Gospel is sufficient; it is God’s power (dynamite) unto salvation to everyone that believes.

Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, "You worship you know not what; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews." (John 4:22.)

When the Gospel began to be preached, it was delivered first to the Jew and then to the Greek. (Rom. 1:16.) The limited commission (Matt. 10) is so called because the message of Jesus and the disciples was first to the Jews. The great commission (Matt. 28) included the Gentiles. The promises of salvation were first made to Abraham and then to the Jewish nation. The promise of a new covenant was made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. (Jer. 31:31.) Ezekiel described the coming kingdom in terms that the Jews understood, but not only so but that they would be centrally involved.

The Messiah is a Jewish Messiah. Jesus was born of the tribe of Judah. John recorded that Jesus came unto his own, but his own received him not. (John 1:11.) Indeed salvation is of the Jews! Jesus was born through promises made to a Jewish nation.

We are indebted to the Jews for their meticulous care of the Scriptures entrusted unto them. They had a high regard for the name of God and showed it when copying the Scriptures. We have the ancient documents of the old covenant today because the Jews understood their importance and treasured them. All the known writers of the Bible are Jews except Luke the beloved physician.

An interesting comment is made by Paul when gathering money and gifts for the poor Jewish saints in Jerusalem from among Gentile churches. He wrote, "It hath pleased them verily and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things." (Rom. 15:27.) In other words, We (the Gentiles) can at least give them (the Jews) food and clothing because they gave unto us the Gospel.

"For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation." (Acts 2:39-40.)

"Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Phil. 2:12.)

"Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you." (2 Cor. 6:17.)

Like those listening to Noah in the days before the Flood, we too can save ourselves by fleeing from the destruction to come. We can come out of the world and into the Lord’s Kingdom.

In view of passages which teach that salvation is not of ourselves, this might seem too strong to say "save yourself." However, the choice of man is central to his salvation. If you say, No, then you have vetoed everything else done for your redemption. You make the death of Jesus vain as far as you are concerned. You make void the work of the Jews in keeping the Scriptures pure and providing an historical lineage for the Messiah. You make weak the power of the Gospel. Brother Basil Overton once said, As powerful as the Gospel is, there is one thing more powerful. Your choice is more powerful than the Gospel. Preaching is effective only if you allow the message into your heart. The lost person holds the key to his own salvation. Once you are taught the truth of the Gospel, then you alone are responsible for your salvation. Save yourself! Work out your salvation!

If you do not arise and be baptized to wash away your sins, they you are not serious about saving yourself. (Acts 22:16, Mark 16:16.) If you are not faithful to doing God’s will, then you are not saving yourself. If you are not involved in the Lord’s work and worship, then you are not really trying to save yourself.

We must be clear concerning what this does not mean. It does not mean that as a sinner, you can save yourself by a plan of your own. It does not mean that you can save yourself without Jesus’ sacrifice and God’s grace. It does not mean that you save yourself by the perfect keeping of all the commandments of God. It does not mean that you are saved by your perfect knowledge of God’s will. It does not mean that you are saved because you are right on all doctrinal issues.

"O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself. It is not in man that walks to direct his steps." (Jer. 10:23.)

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:5-7.)

A sinner saves himself in this sense. "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself." (John 7:17.) "And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely." (Rev. 22:17.)

"Salvation belongeth unto the Lord; thy blessing is upon thy people." (Psalm 3:8.) "But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble." (37:39.) "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation." (51:12.)

"In nothing terrified by your adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God." (Phil. 1:28.)

"If you knew the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink. You would have asked of him and he would have given you living water." (John 4:10.)

"For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God." (Eph. 2:8.)

Salvation is a gift of God that we access by faith. Paul wrote, "By whom we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." (Rom. 5:2.) Justification and salvation arise from above, not from below. It does not and cannot be found among men. It comes down from above as a gift from God. If God had not left us a seed, we would all have been made like unto Sodom and Gomorrha. (Rom. 9:29.)

After knowing the above facts about salvation, one serious matter remains for many people. Is salvation really possible for me? Does God love me and is He willing to pardon my sins? This sort of personal application is needed. We need desperately to believe that the answer is Yes. The Bible does not speak in abstract terms. It refers to individuals, real people who are sinners. We are not unlike Peter, James and John. We are not unlike David, Abraham and Noah. God desires the salvation of everyone. His will is that all be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim. 2:4.)