What Is Salvation

People who have been Christian for many years, have a tendency to use words that are familiar to them, but forget that these words may not be familiar to new Christians.  One such word is salvation, or being saved.

If you have been in the church very long, you have probably had someone ask you when you were saved or if you were saved.  If this term is unfamiliar to you, the first question that might arise is what are you saved from, and the second question is how can I be saved?  Those are just some of the questions we want to answer.

Saved from What?

In Acts 2:21 we read, “and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  The question though for us is, from what are we saved, and the answer is that we are saved from sin and its consequences.

We know that sin has eternal consequences.  Romans 6:23 tells us that “the wages of sin is death.”  This is not just physical death; it is a spiritual death that results in eternal punishment.  We find this in passages such as 2 Peter 2:4-10, where the judgement to come is described, and also in statements by Jesus, in which He warns of the possibility of Hell (see Mark 9:42-48).

Matthew 25:46 refers to this as eternal punishment.  Eternal means that there is no end. This means that punishment in Hell is a consequence of sin that will never have an end.

Of course, the consequences of sin are not just for life after death.  There are direct consequences to sin today.  Some of these consequences are families and lives destroyed, physical and mental scars, and the breakdown of society.

The most distressing consequence, however, is the resulting separation from God. In 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, we find the need for reconciliation with God.  This means that we cannot truly know God’s presence in our life if sin is a part of our lives.  Sin separates us from God.

What Is Sin?

If sin has such terrible consequences, the next question we must ask is, “what is sin?”

In Psalm 51:4, the psalmist writes, “against you, you only I have sinned.”  Sin may have an effect on other people in our lives, but it is sin only because the sinful action is an affront to God.  God is victimized.

God is victimized, because as we read in 1 John 3:4, sin is lawlessness.  The law discussed is God’s law.  In other words, sin is a rejection of God’s authority to rule in our lives.  It is a rejection of His proper position of authority as creator of this world.

John Wesley described sin “properly so called as a voluntary transgression of a known law.”  This means that we have chosen to do something we know God does not want us to do, or we do not do something that God wants us to do.  Each is a description of someone who has chosen to disobey God, and that is sin.

Am I A Sinner?

If the consequences for sin are so terrible, we would think that no one would ever desire to commit sin, but that is not the case.  Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

There are some that do not agree with this statement.  There are those who say I have never sinned.  What a deception Satan has brought to their lives.

If you desire a test to see if you have ever sinned, ask yourself this question.  Have you always accepted God’s authority to rule your life, and have you been obedient to Him always?

A good place to start looking is with the Ten Commandments listed in Exodus 19.  Ask yourself, have you always kept the Sabbath day holy, honored your parents, did you ever steal, lie, or covet.  Any infraction to one of these commandments and you are a sinner.  If this does not convince you, turn to Matthew 5.  There is not a person alive today who can say they have never lived up to all that God desired in their lives.  We have all chosen to disobey God.

How Can I Escape?

That means we all have been separated from God, and we all face eternal punishment in Hell.  That raises the question found in Matthew 23:33, “How will you escape being condemned to Hell?”

Many have tried the path of good works.  They imagine that if they can just be good enough that God will accept them as they are despite their sins.

There are two problems with this.  The first problem is what is good enough?  Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that the good things we do are just what we are supposed to do.  We do not earn anything for being good, nor does the good we do erase the bad from the past.

The second problem is that apart from God, we cannot do anything good.  Sin is so ingrained in our lives, that everyone who has tried to become righteous on their own will tell you of their failure.  We do not have the strength in us to overcome temptation.

Jesus Only

There is only one way we can escape sin, and that is by accepting the gift that God is offering to us (Romans 6:23).  That gift is salvation through Jesus Christ.

It is a gift, for it is not earned.  Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

God wants to give us a free gift; a gift in which he forgives us of our sin, cleanses us from sin so that we are pure, and then He gives to us eternal life.

This gift may be free to us, but it was not free for God.  It cost Him His very own Son Jesus Christ.  1 Corinthians 6:20 says “you were bought at a price.”  This price is the lifeblood of Jesus Christ on the cross.  He paid the price for our sins that we might be forgiven.

How Can I Be Saved?

You may be wondering, how does a person become saved?  It really is a lot simpler than many people want to make it.

1 John 1:9 says, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Confession is very simple, it means letting God know that we recognize that we are sinners.  It also means recognizing that the only means to salvation is through Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).  It contains a desire to turn from sin and live a life in faithful obedience to God.

When you make this confession, God is faithful, and He will forgive you.  He will also send His Spirit to live in your life (Revelations 3:20).  He will teach you how to live a life of obedience.  He will bring a wonderful peace to your life.  He will bring a marvelous sense of assurance that eternal life in Heaven awaits you.

A Prayer

If you have not received salvation but desire to, I invite you to pray this prayer.

“God, I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself.  I am sorry that I have sinned.  Please forgive my sins and come and live in my life.  I want to live in obedience to you.  Teach me and empower me to live as you would have me.  Thank you for saving me.  Amen.”

If you have prayed this prayer for salvation or would like more information please speak with your Pastor.  Your Pastor will gladly help you discover all that God has for your life.