Sacrificial Love as Foundation of Salvation Theology
Sacrificial love is presented as the foundation of salvation, rooted in God's initiative to redeem humanity through Christ [9, 10]. This concept emphasizes God's willingness to give for the benefit of others, particularly through the sending of Jesus Christ [9, 11]. The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world, demonstrating a unique relationship between the Father and the Son, where the Son is God with the Father [9]. This act of sending is understood as the prime article of the Christian faith and the foundation for love among believers [9, 10].
Salvation itself is not achieved through human actions or merit but is solely by God's grace and mercy [1, 2]. Ephesians 2:5 states that believers are given life "when he raised Christ from the dead," indicating that salvation is a divine act of making alive together with Christ [1]. This union with Christ means believers share in his resurrection, both in the present and in the future [1, 6]. The contrast is explicitly drawn between human efforts to earn salvation and God's unmerited favor [2]. Titus 3:5 clarifies that salvation is "not because . . . but because" of God's mercy, washing away sins and granting new birth and life through the Holy Spirit [2]. This new life signifies a complete departure from a life of sin and death, transferring individuals into a realm of life and purity [2].
The transformative work of God's Spirit is an integral part of salvation [7]. Believers are "created anew in Christ Jesus" for the purpose of doing good works that God has prepared for them [3]. These good works are a result of salvation, not its cause, flowing from a transformed heart through the Spirit [3]. This transformation involves stripping off the "old sinful nature" and putting on a "new nature" in Christ, allowing Christ to guide one's life [5, 7]. This new nature reflects God's life within the believer, akin to the original creation in God's image [7].
The love demonstrated in Christ's sacrifice is meant to inspire love in believers. The apostle John emphasizes that love flows from a sense of God's love for humanity [10]. This love is characterized by a willingness to prioritize the good of others over one's own desires, mirroring Christ's example [11]. Through Christ, Gentiles who believe are no longer considered "strangers and foreigners" but are fully accepted into God's family, becoming children of God alongside believing Jews [4]. This inclusion highlights the expansive nature of God's sacrificial love, breaking down barriers and uniting diverse peoples into one body [4].
The blessings of salvation, including adversities, are understood to come from God the Father, who is the source of all blessings in creation, providence, election, and redemption [8]. Through the Lord Jesus Christ, even difficulties can become beneficial for believers [8]. This perspective reinforces the idea that God's love underpins all aspects of existence and redemption, providing a foundation for gratitude "for all things" [8].
Sources
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 2:5: 2:5 gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead (literally made us alive together with Christ): Joined with Christ, believers share in his resurrection, now and in the future (see 2:6; Rom 6:4-14; Col 3:1-4). • It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved: See Eph 1:2; 2:8-9.”
- Titus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Titus 3:5: 3:5 not because . . . but because: The contrast is between human actions that might be thought to merit salvation and God’s grace (see Gal 2:16). Salvation is through faith in God’s mercy alone (Eph 2:8). • He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth: See Ezek 16:9; John 3:1-15; Eph 5:26; Heb 10:22; 2 Pet 1:9. • and new life through the Holy Spirit: This signifies a complete departure from the life of sin and death and a transfer into the realm of life and purity (see also Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 5:17; Col 3:10).”
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 2:10: 2:10 He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us: Good works are the result, not the cause, of salvation. God’s Spirit, working through a transformed heart, produces a good life (Gal 5:22-23).”
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 2:19: 2:19 Gentiles who believe are no longer strangers and foreigners (2:11-12, 17). Through Christ, they are fully accepted into God’s family. They become children of God, just like believing Jews (see Rom 8:14-17).”
- Colossians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Colossians 3:9: 3:9-10 your old sinful nature . . . your new nature: Paul contrasts old and new identities (see also Rom 5:12-21; 6:6; Eph 4:22-24). Believers strip off their old life and put on Christ’s new life, allowing him to be Lord and to guide the way they live.”
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 2:6: 2:6 united with Christ Jesus: Because of this union, believers share God’s glory and blessings, and experience resurrection both now and in the future (see Rom 6:4-14; Col 2:12-13; 3:1-4).”
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 4:24: 4:24 A believer has a new nature: God’s Spirit expresses his life within the believer (see Col 3:10; cp. Gen 1:26; Rom 12:1-2; Gal 5:22-23). The transforming work of God’s Spirit is part of the gift of salvation (Eph 2:8-10).”
- Ephesians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ephesians 5:20: thanks . . . for all things--even for adversities; also for blessings, unknown as well as known (Col 3:17; Th1 5:18). unto God and the Father--the Fountain of every blessing in Creation, Providence, Election, and Redemption. Lord Jesus Christ--by whom all things, even distresses, become ours (Rom 8:35, Rom 8:37; Co1 3:20-23).”
- 1 John (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 1 John 4:14: Since faith in Christ works love to God, and love to God must kindle love to the brethren, the apostle here confirms the prime article of the Christian faith as the foundation of such love. Here, I. He proclaims the fundamental article of the Christian religion, which is so representative of the love of God: And we have seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world, Jo1 4:14. We here see, 1. The Lord Jesus's relation to God; he is Son to the Father, such a Son as no one else is, and so as to be God with the Father. 2. His relati”
- 1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 4:7: Resumption of the main theme (Jo1 2:29). Love, the sum of righteousness, is the test of our being born of God. Love flows from a sense of God's love to us: compare Jo1 4:9 with Jo1 3:16, which Jo1 4:9 resumes; and Jo1 4:13 with Jo1 3:24, which similarly Jo1 4:13 resumes. At the same time, Jo1 4:7-21 is connected with the immediately preceding context, Jo1 4:2 setting forth Christ's incarnation, the great proof of God's love (Jo1 4:10). Beloved--an address appropriate to his subject, "love." love--All love is from God as its fountain: especially that”
- 1 Corinthians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Corinthians 13:4: 13:4-7 This description of Christian love emphasizes the willingness to give up one’s own desires for the good of others (see also 8:1–10:33; Rom 5:6-8; 15:3; 2 Cor 8:9; Phil 2:4-8).”