Nupreacher,
Welcome to the forum family. Here is something that may not answer your question on the purpose of salvation but describes it in some detail, from Ray:
... It is true that
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that [‘faith’ is] not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast."
But let’s not stop reading in the middle of a thought…
"For we are HIS [God’s] workmanship [Gk: ‘achievement’], created in Christ Jesus unto GOOD WORKS, which God has before ordained that WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM" (Eph. 2:8-10).
Is God creating and accomplishing in you ‘GOOD WORKS?’ If not, you are a "Christian" in name only, and all the sinner’s prayers in the world won’t save you.
Here is the briefest outline of how God "saves us:"
Jesus Christ must first "CHOOSE" us (John 15:16). You don’t choose Him until He first chooses you. You have no "free will" by which you choose Christ. Christ CHOOSES YOU, or you aren’t chosen.
The Father then "DRAWS" [Gk: ‘drags us’]" us to Christ (John 6:44). You don’t come without an invite. What may seem like a "free choice" on your part to come to Christ, in reality is the Father dragging you by many unseen circumstances beyond your view or control.
By GRACE, God gifts us with FAITH (Eph. 2:
. Both are from God; man contributes NOTHING. If you don’t give God credit for all of your faith then you don’t have any faith, because faith comes ONLY from God.
Then "the goodness of GOD leads you to repentance" (Rom. 2:4). Our repentance originates in GOD, not in ourselves. If God doesn’t lead someone to repentance then they CAN’T REPENT.
And it is the grace of God ONLY that will save us. But HOW and WHEN? What does it mean to be "under grace?"
Answer: "For the GRACE of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, TEACHING US [Gk: ‘to train, educate, discipline, punish, chasten, instruct, learn, teach’] that, denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly [with a sound mind], righteously, and GODLY, in this present world" (Titus 2:11-12).
If you are not doing this and growing every day, then you are not being graced by God, and you are not on your way to salvation. The grace of God WILL DISCIPLINE AND CHASTEN us into obedience to all of God’s Spiritual laws and commandments.
"Whosoever will come after Me, let him DENY himself, and TAKE UP HIS CROSS, and FOLLOW ME" (Mark 8:34).
This is not an "option" to salvation; this is an absolute REQUIREMENT. I am not trying to paint a picture of doom and gloom, but the reality of living as Jesus Christ demands is not a walk in the park or a stroll through a rose garden. You can pursue a life obsessed with beauty, fame, vanity, materialism, and worldliness, but don’t think you can also coordinate all that with a life of following Jesus Christ.
(from "You Fools! You Hypocrites! You Snakes!")