God’s plan of salvation for mankind was known by God before he made the world (1 Peter 1:20). However, He revealed his plan progressively to believers over many years. The plan culminated in the redeeming death of His Son Jesus Christ on a cross. God works through you and me as His believers to spread the good news of His plan of salvation.

 God began to revealing His plan of salvation in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis, chapter three, says Adam and Eve sinned by eating from the tree that God forbade them to eat from. Disobedience caused them to have a sense of nakedness; they tried to hide from God. But God took the skin from another being to cover their feelings of nakedness and guilt. 

However, the communion that Adam and Eve had with God came to and end.They were separated from God and from the Garden of Eden. They were prevented access to a tree in the Garden called the tree of life. God had told Adam and Eve, the day they ate from the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil they would die. Separation from God, who is the only source of spiritual life, results in immediate spiritual death.   

Adam and Eve died in trespasses and sin the day they disobeyed God. (Colossians 2:13; 1Timothy 5:6). Physically death is evidently in motion in man and all living creatures. However, began to unveil his plan of salvation for mankind.

God told the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15NIV).

By killing and shedding the blood of and animal to provide covering for Adam and Eve, God showed the necessity of blood sacrifice to cover sin. In saying the offspring of the woman would crush the head of the serpent, God foretold that the offspring of the woman (Jesus Christ) would defeat the serpent—“that ancient serpent who is the Devil or Satan” (Revelation 20:2).

God revealed more of His plan of salvation though a man named Abraham. 

Many generations after Adam and Eve, The Lord revealed another aspect of God’s plan of salvation to one their descendants named Abraham. The Lord told Abraham that if he left his home and went to another place which God promise, God would bless him; and all nations of the world would be blessed through him. Abraham believed the Lord and set out for the land the Lord promised him, being guided by God (Genesis 12:1-15). 

God tested the faith of Abraham further, in asking him to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac to God on an altar.  Abraham built an altar, and was about to slay Isaac on the altar, when an angel of the lord stopped him. God then told Abraham that because he was willing to do this, God would surely give him and his children the promised land of Canaan. (Genesis 15:18-28).  Furthermore, the Lord affirmed that the world would be blessed through his offspring (Genesis 22:1-18). 

Still more of God’s plan of salvation were disclosed thorough a man named  Moses. 

God planned to use Abraham’s descendants in the process of revealing His plan of salvation to the world. The Lord chose Moses, a descendant who was willing to follow God’s directions, and give God’s instructions to the other descendants.

God allowed a famine in the land of Canaan, which caused Abraham’s descendants to go to Egypt, where God had stored up food. In Egypt, where they were called Hebrews they grew to be a nation of people within a nation. The Egyptians decided to make them servants of the Egyptians. However, God raised up a leader among the Hebrews name Moses, who was willing to follow God’s directions. God used Moses to miraculously lead his people out of Egyptian slavery, and back to the promised land of Canaan. 

In the Hebrew people’s journey back to the promised land God gave them guidance through Moses about sin and atonement for sin. He gave them the Ten Commandments and laws; and   He told them about holy altars and acceptable offerings. They learned that blood sacrifice was required to atone for sin (Leviticus 16). 

Moreover, Moses advised the people that God would raise up another prophet like himself, and he told them they should listen to that person (Deuteronomy 18:15; Matthew17:1-9).  

God’s Plan of Salvation was completed by the redeeming death of His Son Jesus.

• For unto us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government shall be on His shoulders.  And He shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…. (Isaiah 9:6; Luke 26-38).

• But he was pierced four transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed…and the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all…He was led like a lamb to the slaughter (Isaiah 3:5-7).

• God called John the  Baptist, of the New Testament, to recognize and proclaim Jesus as the Messianic Savior to the world. When John saw Jesus coming toward him, he said, “Behold! the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). 

• The Old Testament, “ the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24).

• Jesus died on the cross as prophesied, as a Lamb without blemish of sin. He died for the sins of all mankind. At the moment he died, the curtain of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, which acted as a veil of separation from God  was “torn from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51), 

• It was impossible for the blood of animals to take away sin, which sacrifices were offered each year. The atoning blood of Jesus Christ replaced all other sacrifices, and covers the sins of all who believe in him, once and forever (Hebrews 10:1-18). 

According to God’s plan of salvation, Jesus Christ removed the separation between God and mankind that occurred in the Garden of Eden.

• At the cross Jesus triumphed over “that ancient serpent who is the Devil or Satan” (Colossians 2:14-15; Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 20:2).  

• He opened the way to the tree of life that was closed after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden (John 14:6; Revelation 22:1-3). 

• He demonstrated he was the offspring of Abraham, promised to bless the world (Matthew 1:1; John 3:16).

• God revealed Jesus as the prophet greater than Moses, whom Moses said would come (Deuteronomy 18:15; Matthew 17:1-6). 

• The Old Testament—“ the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24).

• God’s law and Spirit of obedience is now written in the hearts and minds of those who believe in Jesus Christ

• Jesus is the only begotten Son of God who takes away the sin of all those who believe in his atonement (Romans 3:23; 6:23; John 3:16)

As believers in salvation through Jesus Christ, God has  empowered us with the Holy Spirit, to take the good news of salvation by the Son of God to the world (Acts 1:8; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8).