Salvation Defined
“Saved? What do I need to be saved from? What is salvation?” These are really good questions of those that hear such words, but never receive understanding of them. It’s only natural to question what it means to be ‘saved,’ what to be saved from, and how to get this ‘saved’ thing before it’s too late.
Saving implies that there is a danger or consequence of some sort that has been evaded or prevented. Like Superman, he came and saved the day from what ever villain that tried him, his city, or Lois Lane. And try they did, but never prevailed. Why? Well, he was Superman—super in name and in power. He saved every body and their mothers, too. A hero that saved.
Superman was their salvation. People were saved from burning buildings, crashing planes, and unexplainable events unrelated to our world, yet without him they would have died. What is it that you need saving from? Can your hero save you from it? From all your fears? Even keep you after death? The salvation we have answers all these questions with bold security. Would you like some?
Why you need Salvation
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your hear that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” Rom 10:9 ESV. What a simple thing to do—confess and believe. This is the first, yet most pivotal step in salvation. Jesus is the hero that saves, heals, delivers and so much more. He was God’s only Son sent to us for our saving, our redemption.
Whoa, another one of them words—redemption. Why the need for redemption, or being redeemed? Sin is the very reason of why we need to be saved, or redeemed. Have you ever wondered why we have character flaws, or the reasoning why it’s easier to do the wrong thing instead of the right? Simply speaking, instead of telling Mom that you stole the cookie(s) you blamed it on a sibling or pet in order to elude punishment. This is our human nature, or sinful nature. This nature is innate—we were born with it, all of us.
“Wait-a-minute! You’re telling me that I was naughty by nature?!” Why, yes! Let me introduce Adam, the first man created by God in His very own image and given dominion and power. Who was, later on, disobedient (sinned) and caused the fall of man and the need to be redeemed from sin. Fall? He was made just like God; in splendor, wisdom, power. He was just like a Superman, but he messed up and messed it up for all of us. Yea, it was Adam’s fault (shakes fist). However, Jesus came on the scene to redeem it all!
How to get saved today
“For God so loved the world, that he gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life,” Jhn 3:16 ESV. Jesus came to save the day, eternally. Superman, though super, is not eternal. Remember those cookies and the lie to evade punishment? Well, eternal life is granted to those that believe in Him, eternal death is for the others. “For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord,” Rom 6:23 ESV.
There it is, the reason to be saved and how. We, being human, are born into sin; and when sin is fully grown it brings death. Adam started it but Jesus redeemed it and therefore is our salvation (Rom 5:12; 19). One of his names is Hosanna, which literally means “save us!” Remember, this gift is FREE. Jesus came and gave his life as ransom for us all (Matt 20:28). Someone wrote you a check to pay off all your debt; student loans, mortgage, credit cards, all of it! If all you had to do was endorse it and cash it, wouldn’t you do so?
Jesus did the same for your life; all you have to do is believe. Every sin, shame, hurt, harm, and hell from your past, present, or future He has already taken care of. Hero doesn’t do Him enough justice, instead I’d like to introduce you to one of His other titles — Savior.
Reference Scriptures
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Psa 51:5 ESV
Therefore, Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned … For as by the one mans’ disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Rom 5:12;19 ESV
… among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. Eph 2:3 ESV
And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Matt 21:9 ESV
“…even as th Son of Man came no tot be served but to serve, and to give his life as ransom for many.” Mat 20:28 ESV.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Gen 1:26 ESV
To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. Gen 3:16-23 ESV