Salvation

Man was the crown prince of creation. We were made in God's image and given dominion over all creatures.

Adam had close fellowship with God and walked in the wisdom of God. Every thing was perfect…

What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him? Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet: Psalms 8:4-6

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Genesis 1:27-28

Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. Genesis 2:19

2. Adam disobeyed God and died spiritually. And what was worse, the entire human race became corrupt. God could not relate with man directly anymore as before. His fall gave the devil the power over the earth and sin ruled.

And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die." [Gen 2:17 NIV] 

The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.[Gen 3:6 NLT] 

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. Luke 4:5-6

"I don't have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me. John 14:30

When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Romans 5:12

Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Romans 5:18

The seed of Adam has already corrupted every man born and preclude him from being a worthy sacrifice.

When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. [Romans 5:12 NLT] 

3. The justice of God requires that the punishment must be fully paid but the love of God wants to extend the goodness of God to man and restore him to his rightful place. The seed of Adam has already corrupted every man born and preclude him from being a worthy sacrifice. 

A temporary solution was found. The offering of a spotless lamb/sheep once a year, every year was sufficient to cover man's sin but could not remit sin as the remembrance was there yearly. So on the basis of the offering, God could justly extend his goodness to man.

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship... But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. [Hebrews 10:1-4].

But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.[Hebrews 9:7]

4. God, the Master strategist, had a perfect solution for man's salvation before the foundation of the world and implemented in time.

At just the right time, a virgin conceived and thus bypass Adam's seed. The child was born as a man thus fulfilling the requirement for a perfect like-for-like substitution; hence, Jesus' frequent reference to himself as the son of man.

But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.

You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David... 

How will this be, Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.[Luke 1:30-35 NIV] 

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law Gal 4:4

All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. [Revelation 13:8 NIV]

5. Jesus was killed the most gruesome way possible without committing a sin nor having the nature of sin.

An innocent man was punished so that anyone who comes to him is declared guiltless no matter how much his/her sins were.

Salvation is the love-story of God paying the price of sin for us.

Justice miscarried, and he was led off-- and did anyone really know what was happening? He died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people. They buried him with the wicked, threw him in a grave with a rich man, Even though he'd never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn't true. Still, it's what GOD had in mind all along, to crush him with pain. The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he'd see life come from it--life, life, and more life. And GOD's plan will deeply prosper through him. Isaiah 53:8-10

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2Co 5:14-15  

  If that had been necessary, he would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But no! He came once for all time, at the end of the age, to remove the power of sin forever by his sacrificial death for us. And just as it is destined that each person dies only once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died only once as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again but not to deal with our sins again. This time he will bring salvation to all those who are eagerly waiting for him. Heb 9:26-28

6.  But the story did not end at the grave, dying alone will not have been sufficient to give us life.

He overcame death and rose again from the dead becoming the first born from the dead.

In believing we not only have our sins forgiven and our account wiped clean, we also become a new creature, reborn with the life of God.

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. [1Corinthians 15: 4]

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.[1Corinthians 15:17 NIV]. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.[1Corinthians 15:19-20 NIV]

7. How then does one become saved? It is by believing in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and confessing his lordship over your life.

At that point, you are born anew(again) with a brand new spirit that can relate directly with God without any sense of guilt. All records of past deeds are wiped clean. Moreso, you (are able to) receive the Spirit of God.

It is a brand new start indeed.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.[Romans 10:10 NLT] 

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God.[1John 5:1 NLT] 

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.[John1:12 NLT] 

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun![2Corinthians 5:17]

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do [them.] [Ezekiel 36:26-27 NKJV]