Why Is It Called "Salvation"?

A thought popped in my head:

"Why is it called 'salvation'"?

The church always talks about "being saved".  Yet, has any of us pondered why we use that word, salvation, saved, etc.?

A rational person would rightly ask, "What does Jesus save us FROM?"

You see, for there to be a concept of salvation, there must be a reason TO be saved.  There must be a danger that we need saved FROM.

Some people say that we are being saved from being separated from God.  This is what they call the fate of the unbeliever.  Suppose that is true, that if I was an unbeliever, and I died as an unbeliever, the only thing that would happen to me is that God would be out of my reach.  That's it?  That's really kinda vague.  Is that a good thing?  Is that a bad thing?  "Oh, it's a bad thing, it really is a bad thing!"  OK, then HOW is it a bad thing?  Give me details!  Convince me to believe other than, "If you don't believe, you'll be separated from God."

In the story of Christ's nativity, the angel told Joseph to name his son JESUS for this reason:

Mat 1:21  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 

OK, so what Jesus ("The LORD saves") saves people from are our sins.  Now, by itself, it's still kinda vague.  Yet, God doesn't stop there.  He does explain why being saved from our sins is necessary.  Paul says:

Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

(Act 13:38-39)

So our sins are forgiven through Jesus.  OK, getting warmer (figuratively).  Yet God doesn't stop there.  By itself, to say one's sins are forgiven implies that having sins on your account is a bad thing.

But let's dig deeper.  What does the word "sin" mean?

The Greek word for "sin" is 'hamaratia", literally meaning "to miss the mark".  So, "sin" is an "error", a "misstep", a "mistake", a bend in a straight path, etc.

And what is forgiveness?  Simply, that such things that you are forgiven of won't count against you.

Count against me?  What are you talking about?  

Here's what I'm talking about.  As I've said before, in the end of days, there will be a final judgment:

2Co 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

(Rev 20:11-12)

It is a final accounting of everything we have done in our life.  Everything we do, everything we say (Matthew 12:36), and even everything we think (Proverbs 24:9 calls foolish thoughts sin), will be up for audit.

If ANY sin appears on your record, this is what Jesus says will happen to you:

As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

(Mat 13:40-42)

(There are more passages that speak of this, but in my opinion, this passage drives down the point most clearly for the sake of this post.)

And what is the "furnace of fire"?  It's HELL!

So, to sum it all up, we all will be judged on EVERYTHING we have done in our life.  If we have SIN on our record, we go to HELL.

So, why is it called "salvation"?  Why does Jesus come to save those who believe from our sins?  It's because the sins take us to eternal punishment.  Thus, Jesus saves us from eternal punishment.  Jesus saves us from Hell.  What are being saved from, ultimately?  HELL!

And all we need to do to be saved is to trust Jesus.  Not just the man Himself, but the entire Word of God, for Jesus IS the Word of God (John 1:1, John 1:14, I John 1:1, I John 5:7, Revelation 19:13).  All this IS trusting in Jesus.  If you do so, you are saved.  If you don't, the Bible says the wrath of God abides on you (John 3:36).

Acts 16:31 of the King James Version uses the word "on", which well illustrates what faith in Jesus is:

Act 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 

You see, it's not just believing Jesus exists, as the modern definition of believing in something says.  James 2:19 says:

Jas 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 

(devils being "demons")

So demons believe that God exists, they believe "in" God, and specifically, "one God".  Yet, are they saved?  Surely not!

In fact, Acts 2:38 says about the condition of salvation (here, called "remission of sins"):

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

This is still compatible with "faith in Jesus", meaning "faith in Jesus" also means repentance of sins, and baptism (side note:  I don't yet have a solid theology on whether water baptism [by immersion, see Acts 8:39 and "out of" the water] is the source of salvation, yet I do have a solid theology on the command to be water baptized, whether it saves you or not; honestly, it's easier just to do it in the name of obedience and move on.).

So trust Jesus.  He will save you (see Luke 10:20) from the lake of fire (see Revelation 20:15).