Intelligently Exploring The Meaning Of Salvation

By Michelle Sanders


You may be questioning your understanding of being saved. What exactly is the true meaning of salvation, you may wonder. There are different views, though all share some characteristics. Forgiveness of sins is the underlying meaning. But, some believe differently about what happens and how it happens. Many believe it does not just stop at the forgiveness of sins.

All believe that being saved involves the forgiveness of any sins we have committed. However, there is more to it than that, some believe. We are delivered from evil as well, both temporal and eternal. We are also allowed to live a life of freedom. In addition, the saved person, it is believed, has protection by God from the dangers of this earth. To those who believe this, there is even greater comfort in being saved. However, not all hold to these beliefs.

Deliverance from evil can involve two realms, the temporal and the eternal. The temporal refers to a limited amount of time, as opposed to the eternal, which has no beginning or end. Accepting God relieves us of the results of this evil. This includes the agony of knowing you are participating in evil things, as well as the results of leading an evil life as well as the results of evil around us in the world.

There is another aspect to being saved from evil. This is the freedom to live a life that is not controlled by sin and its domination over man. Satan makes a sinful life look appealing to man, whose sinful nature makes it easy to be led the wrong way. When one accepts God he has the power to overcome that pull of Satan.

There is also the protection from earthly dangers we receive when we accept God's law. In the book of Psalms God promised to protect the Israelite nation from the sickness, famine, and calamities of the sinful world so long as they accepted Him. Many believe that the reason our country enjoys the freedom from natural disasters and pestilence overall is because we are a Christian nation.

There is the question of how one becomes saved. The Bible gives very specific details on how this can occur. One must believe and have faith in Jesus Christ. Obedience to His will comes next and is a show of the belief and faith one has. That is not saying we earn our forgiveness from sin. It is just obedience to show that we have faith and belief. Another step detailed in the Bible is to confess one's faith in Jesus and be baptized for remission of sin. All steps are important. Skipping one will not work, all must be obeyed.

There is the belief by some that once you have been saved, you will always be saved. You cannot lose it, they believe. Others say that is not true, that just as a man that gets saved from drowning can jump back into the water. In like manner, the believer can jump back into their earlier sinful life. The Bible cautions that one is to continually work out being saved, which means remaining faithful. The Bible also says if one remains faithful until death, he will receive a crown of life in Heaven.

Though the idea of salvation is sometimes confusing, it can be understood. It all depends on a person's interpretation. But, there is probably not a single person who would not be interested in such a relationship with God.




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