What is salvation? How does it work? In Greek the word for Savior or Deliverer is s?t?? (soter) and so we call the study of salvation soteriology.
The word save means to liberate, deliver or rescue. We must look at the context to understand what kind of salvation is being referred to.
Temporal Salvation
When enthusiastic Christians ask others if they have been saved, do they even know what that means? In the case of ancient Israel, they were saved from slavery in Egypt.
Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians... (Exodus 14:30 KJV)
We may be saved from sickness.
O Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed; if you save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for you alone! (Jeremiah 17:14 NLT)
We may be saved from our enemies.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us (Luke 1:68-71 ESV)
Eternal Salvation
More important than temporary physical salvation is eternal salvation from hell. That salvation is on offer to the whole world because of one man.
They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” (John 4:42 NIV)
That man is the Son of God.
We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. (1 John 4:14 NASB)
Salvation can refer to being saved from physical problems, but ultimately and primarily refers to being saved from death and hell.
Salvation is a Gift
Eternal salvation is a gift to those who believe. It is not earned.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV)
Many people misunderstand this verse believing it says that faith is the gift. That seems to make sense in English. But in Greek the words “grace” and “faith” are feminine, and the word “saved” is masculine, and the word “that” is neuter. In Greek grammar, the word “that” cannot apply to any of them alone. The gift can be the concept “by grace you have been saved,” a phrase that Paul uses twice. The gift can also mean the concept “by grace you have been saved through faith.” Paul clarifies this elsewhere.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. (Romans 3:23-25a ESV)
What is God’s free gift?
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 ESV)
What is grace? Grace is an undeserved kindness, given freely as a gift.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men (Titus 2:11 KJV)
What saves us?
But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much he made us alive with Christ, and God's gift of undeserved grace is what saves you. (Ephesians 2:5 CEV)
Grace is an undeserved gift of God.
Saving Faith
What is the only requirement for receiving the gift of salvation?
From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15 WEB)
When will salvation be revealed?
You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:5 HCSB)
What kind of faith is required, one that is just a dead claim but does nothing, or a living faith, alive with good works?
What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. (James 2:14-17 NASB)
What is the end result of our faith?
for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:9 NIV)
Salvation is a free gift. It is not of works lest any of us should boast, but saving faith is evident by good works. Do you receive God’s undeserved gift? You decide!
