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.
Have you ever been on a trip, only to discover at some point that you are lost? You may have been traveling by car, or bicycle, or public transport, or even walking. You were heading blissfully down the road, thinking all was well. You felt certain that you were moving toward your desired destination. Then you began to pass landmarks that indicated something was wrong. You may have felt disoriented or alarmed. Finally, you saw a sign with the correct destination, but it was pointed in the exact opposite direction from where you were headed. Well, what did you do? First, at your earliest opportunity, you stopped moving in the route you were traveling. Then you turned around—you did a 180 degree turn, and began moving in the opposite direction—this time toward the right destination, not the wrong one.