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Christians often say that they "are saved through God's grace," but what does it mean? In this article, we will do a deep dive into the Christian doctrine of Salvation.
The word 'salvation' may mean different things to different people. But most fail to grasp its true meaning. However, in light of the Bible, everything becomes clear.
The Meaning of Salvation
To define Salvation from the Biblical Christian point of view, we can look to the Holy Book for answers.
The meaning of Salvation in Christian terms is to be delivered or saved through faith from eternal death as brought by sin. What's surprising is that there's no action you can take to be protected from the fires of hell, as Christ Jesus has already done it for you.
In the dictionary, Salvation means 'rescued from peril,' which draws a parallel line to the meaning we get in the Bible teachings. Salvation has three aspects: why God saved us, where he is saving us to, and what He is saving us from.
A Christian's Definition of Salvation
If there's one word that can define Christian salvation, it's deliverance. Deliverance is an integral part of the Christian life because we all fall short of the righteousness of God.
Salvation breaks into two crucial components in the New Testament- delivery from eternal death, which is the penalty of sinning (Romans 6:23), and being delivered from the mortal shackles and enjoying eternal life (John 3:15).
Salvation plays a massive role in the present and the future. It can dictate how a believer should live to reap the rewards of going to heaven.
The Why of Salvation
For there to be Salvation, there must be something that we need rescuing from. Why is there a need to be saved?
The Old Testament has had a few Salvation examples, but they're mainly about being saved from physical harm. Hezekiah, for example, prayed to God to save his people from the advancing Assyrians (2 Kings 19:19). David asked the same thing when Saul and his armies hunted him (Psalm 54:1). In these cases, God was the Savior and Deliverer.
The New Testament has a few passages that point to Salvation as being delivered from Satan, the clutches of death, and the consequences of sin. Furthermore, Salvation meant spared from God's wrath (Romans 5:9 and 1 Thessalonians 1:10).
Here, Salvation is receiving deliverance from the consequences of sin. Every human has sinned (Romans 3:23), and unfortunately, the result of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Furthermore, it was for sinners Christ died. Humans are sinful beings. There is absolutely nothing we can do to get rid of sin unless Lord Jesus brings Salvation. Salvation belongs to God alone.
In other words, humanity has to be saved from eternal death and given God's gift of eternal life. Salvation, in this case, becomes an essential element, and God created Jesus precisely for this purpose. His sacrifice washed the sins of the world and allowed us to enter heaven. Through repentance and faith, God gives us Salvation.
The Who of Salvation
The Bible has mentioned that God loves humanity. We are created in His image and invited to His kingdom. To save us from our sins, God has set a plan of Salvation in motion to rescue us from death and sin.
Jesus came into our world and lived a perfect life. He was the only human to have no sin and thus spared from death. However, Christ gave up everything. Jesus' death set the salvation gears in motion. Through this act, God demonstrated His deep and unseverable love for humanity.
The passage Acts 16:30 is essential because it lists Jesus as the only way to get Salvation. God is the only way to become saved, and the way to believe is to trust in the name of the Lord (Psalm 20). However, Jesus came to save sinners. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, we have access to the Kingdom of God. If you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, you will receive the grace of God.
Obedience and Leaving Sin Behind
In the Bible, Jesus was asked how do they get the gift of eternal life. He answered, 'Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength and mind' (Luke 10:25-28).
In retrospect, we know that Salvation cannot be earned (Ephesians 2:8), but that shouldn't mean we continue to live how we want. There are still the 12 Commandments, as well as trying with all our hearts to stop sinning or transgressing against God's law.
Apostle Paul mentioned that it's best to pursue the righteousness of God and leave sin behind by following the 10 Commandments (Psalm 119:172).
The What of Salvation
Salvation is the act of being forgiven of our sins and wiping the slate clean. It's a second chance to living an eternal life in heaven and escaping the wages of sin.
We are saved from sin and enjoy Salvation's many benefits. We have been set free' (John 8:36), and spared God's wrath and instead given His peace. The Bible showed how sin brought nothing but bad things and how the Gospel brought about hope and life. Perhaps the most significant benefit is that Salvation brings us to God.
God is benevolent and overcame the most significant problem that plagues humankind. The question is, are we all saved because of what Jesus Christ, the Son of God, did?
How Can One Receive Salvation?
Salvation is free for everyone, but there's still the choice to accept it or not. Belief and repentance are similar to each other in that we are shifting our mindset about God and making an active effort to save ourselves from His wrath. We believe that Christ is the path to eternal life and the only one who can save us.
The Bible says that we receive 'grace through faith' in Ephesians 2:8. We connect to Christ through our faith. By putting our trust and confidence in Jesus, we will be saved (Romans 10:13 and Acts 2:21).
Conclusion
God's plan to save humanity from the terrible consequences of sin is to send his Son, Jesus Christ, to cleanse us. He paid the ultimate price to have eternal life and reconciled humans to God through His blood.
After accepting Jesus' sacrifice and repenting our sins, God gives us Salvation. We can now avoid eternal death and go to heaven and enjoy being with Him for all eternity.
It's a process that starts when we accept the fact that Jesus Christ died for our sins. Put your faith in Christ. Salvation is the gift of God. After this, it's time to live a new life and try to become more like Christ.