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What is Salvation?

Loyal
The word "salvation" appears over 150 times in the Bible.
Over 100 times in the old testament, and over 40 times in the new testament.
Christians talk about it a lot. But what does it mean?

σωτηρία
sōtēria
so-tay-ree'-ah
Feminine of a derivative of G4990 as (properly abstract) noun; rescue or safety (physically or morally): - deliver, health, salvation, save, saving.
Total KJV occurrences: 45

This is closely related to the word "Savior"

σωτήρ
sōtēr
so-tare'
From G4982; a deliverer, that is, God or Christ: - saviour.
Total KJV occurrences: 24

What does a savior do? He saves you of course.

σώζω
sōzō
sode'-zo
From a primary word σῶς sōs̄ (contraction for the obsolete σάος saos, “safe”); to save, that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively): - heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.
Total KJV occurrences: 110

What does He save us for? A rainy day?
What does He save us from? Why do we even need salvation?

Often in the old testament, God "saved" the Israelites.

Exod 14:30; Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.

Deut 33:29; "Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, Who is the shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! So your enemies will cringe before you, And you will tread upon their high places."

2 Sam 22:4; "I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.

Psa 34:6; This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.

Isa 45:22; "Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.

It seems most of the time, in the old testament, God saved people from their enemies, from troubles, from distress, from the Egyptians, but there is really no mention in the old testament of God saving them from sin.

Jer 4:14; Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, That you may be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts Lodge within you?

..and yet, even in being saved from these things, it seems turning away from wickedness and evil was required.

Isa 30:15; For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, "In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength." But you were not willing,

So it seems what God mostly saved people from was their current situation. In fact the phrase "eternal life" isn't even in the old testament anywhere. However there was an "eternal home" for some.

Ecc 12:5 Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street.

It seems in the old testament people were mostly worried about being "saved" from whatever was threatening them at the time. The phrase "down to Sheol" appears over 20 times in the old testament.

It's interesting the idea of "going to heaven in the afterlife" doesn't really appear in the old testament very often. Also the word "hades" (hell) does not appear in t old testament.

.. in the new testament, we find out more about the after-life.
 
Loyal
In the new testament, being saved has a different meaning. Very rarely is anyone "saved" from their enemies or troubles. It seems people are saved
even though they have to face these things.

Matt 10:22; "You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
Matt 24:13; "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
Mark 16:16; "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
John3:17; "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
John 5:34; "But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.
Rom 10:9; that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

One of the things we are "saved" from.. is the wrath of God.

Rom 5:9; Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

In the new testament, wicked people are thrown into hell.

Matt 10:28; "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matt 23:33; "You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?
Luke 12:5; "But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!
2 Pet 2:4; For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;

So it seems one of the things we are saved "from" is hell, the lake of fire and eternal damnation.
Another new phrase in the new testament is "eternal life". Over 40 times in the new testament. The idea that something exists after this
current physical life. A life that is never ending, without end, ongoing forever, never ceasing for.. well.. as the hymn "Amazing Grace" says...
when we've been there ten thousand years... we've only just begin".

We are of course saved from death. Not so much physical death.. but really spiritual death. Everyone is already spiritually dead, we just need
Jesus to give us "life". What life is this if we are already physically alive? We need to be alive in our spirit, born (again) in our spirit.

So some of the things we are saved from hell, the lake of fire, spiritual death, and our sins.

Matt 1:21; "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

.. to be continued ...
 
Loyal
Some churches teach that God saves us "a wasted life of ruin" or He saves "from ourselves" or He saves us "from continuing to make bad decisions".
It's a language you hear often in some churches, and yet I would be interested in seeing some scriptures to support this.

We are continually growing, changing, being renewed. The Holy Spirit leads, guides us, persuades us and uses circumstances to teach us. He convicts us.
But He doesn't force us. He doesn't prevent us from sinning and making bad decisions.

I would be interested in seeing any scripture that supports this. The fact is, when we sin or make bad choices, it's because we choose to.
 
Active
Some churches teach that God saves us "a wasted life of ruin" or He saves "from ourselves" or He saves us "from continuing to make bad decisions".
It's a language you hear often in some churches, and yet I would be interested in seeing some scriptures to support this.

We are continually growing, changing, being renewed. The Holy Spirit leads, guides us, persuades us and uses circumstances to teach us. He convicts us.
But He doesn't force us. He doesn't prevent us from sinning and making bad decisions.

I would be interested in seeing any scripture that supports this. The fact is, when we sin or make bad choices, it's because we choose to.
Hmm I think thats right but also want to add a christian usually, the more they learn and listen to God, will stop sinning, as Jesus delivers us from temptation and evil, but we do need to ask Him. We need to be humble enough to admit if we sin and repent of it.

Jesus does rescue us. If he hasnt rescued you from any sin you still have in your life you actually need to ask Him to break the chains of whatever is keeping you there. It could be a bad habit. These are hard to break but Jesus can break them. I know He can! Nothing is impossible for Him.
 
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