Tom Skelton
Foundational Truths - Salvation
In the eleventh in our series studying Elim’s core beliefs, Tom Skelton explores what Elim believes about salvation.
Do you remember visiting a friend’s house when you were younger?
Did you notice the differences between their home and yours – the ‘house smell’, food, routines and habits?
The story of the two lost sons in Luke 15 shows how salvation can be like this.
Being brought into the household of salvation, a new believer can be intrigued by the forgiveness, stability, security, support, shared values, sense of identity and the source of unconditional love in their midst.
But while the prodigal in Luke 15 is amazed at the welcome he receives, the elder son didn’t seem to value his home because he had begun to take it for granted.
Through familiarity, he had forgotten the uniqueness of his surroundings and was dismayed at the mercy shown by his father.
We need to be reminded by new believers of the features of our ‘house’ that seem so familiar.
Salvation changes everything. It involves the integration of outsiders, but both new and seasoned believers need to understand the household of God and how he chooses to arrange it.
According to Elim’s foundational beliefs about salvation, the key thing which welcomes us and grants us leave to remain is repentance.
This is the wholesale turning away from our own insufficiency toward the sufficiency of God; the recognition that our innermost desires, commitments and motivations are broken.
In the Christian journey we never stray far from this important starting point so that, like Paul, we are always developing our realisation of our weakness and increasing dependence on God.
Verses like 1 Corinthians 15: 9-10 and Ephesians 3: 8 show how Paul believed the saved life has an ongoing attitude of repentance at its core. This ensured his life exhibited the ‘only God could’ nature of his deeds.
However, this is not to suggest that we are shouted down by a domineering father who is quick to remind us of our faults and strip us of dignity and agency. There is an inestimable value attached to us by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
The process of salvation unfurls to restore and redeem our agency, dignity and identity, along with the filling of the Holy Spirit – the fullness of God’s very own self that fills our physical human bodies.
For Elim the evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit is a sign of the forgiveness of God; that he has “pardoned and accepted [us] as righteous”.
Your wrongdoing is entirely disposed of and you are empowered to live differently. The best thing about this new house is that it’s a gift.
As the Bible puts it, “...you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift...”
Did you get that? God’s salvation for you is all about him. He gives you the new address, keys and even puts your name on the deed to his house. The paperwork is dealt with, the keys have been exchanged. All that remains to ask is, will you remain?
Salvation: what Elim believes
We believe in the necessity for salvation of repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by which the sinner is pardoned and accepted as righteous in God’s sight.
This justification is imputed by the grace of God because of the atoning work of Christ, is received by faith alone and is evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit and a holy life.
Why the commission matters
• Salvation is a free gift from God
• Through it, God pardons and accepts us as righteous
• Salvation restores and redeems our agency, dignity and identity
Tom Skelton is pastor of Wythall New Life Church.
This article first appeared in the August 2022 edition of Direction Magazine. You can order copies here.
Enjoy this content? Don't forget to share