The lectures in this fifth module on the Doctrine of Salvation are, like the others, introductory, not exhaustive, and they’re intended to furnish you with a foundation that you can build upon in your further studies. As you’ll recall from the first module, theology, broadly defined, has to do with the study of the knowledge of God, and all that he has revealed for us to believe and do. We noted that it is the doctrine of living unto God through Christ, thus addressing both our thinking and our living. The Doctrine of Salvation, therefore, is an indispensible component to Systematic Theology.
In John, chapter 11, we’re given the remarkable account of a man named Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha. He had fallen sick, and his family called for Jesus to come. But in the intervening time, Lazarus died and was buried in a tomb, to the great sorrow and heartache of his family and friends. When Christ arrived, Lazarus had already been dead for four days, and his body had begun to decompose. But Jesus told Martha that she would see the glory of God. He stood at the open door of the tomb, and in verses 43 and 44, we read that Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth.” The crowds were astonished, and news of Jesus’ miracle spread far and wide. This physical miracle illustrates the spiritual realities of God coming to save a soul.