What is Salvation

We hear the word Salvation many times in church and often by many people. But if someone asked you plainly — what is salvation, really? — what would you say? Some may know Jesus Christ came to save us. But is this what salvation is all about? There is a lot more to it than that.

The Bible calls Jesus the Rock of Salvation

[Psalm 95:1 NIV] 1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

The Bible calls Jesus the Pioneer of Salvation

[Hebrews 2:9-10 NIV]  9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.

So before we look at Jesus as the pioneer of our salvation, let us first understand what salvation itself is. What does salvation mean? Why do we need salvation? How does salvation happen? What are the pillars that hold salvation together — and what outcomes does salvation produce in our lives? And then comes the deeper question — why did Jesus have to come as a man to bring us this salvation? Why not just save us from heaven?

What is Salvation

When God created man, he was pure and blameless — walking in fellowship with God in the Garden of Eden. But through the deception of Satan to Eve, disobedience entered. And with that disobedience came the curse of sin and its consequences — separation from God. Man became bonded to sin, helpless on his own to restore what was broken between himself and God.

Salvation is the deliverance from this sin and its consequences, the path that leads back to eternal life with God. Salvation is made possible through faith in Jesus Christ.

Why We Need It

The Bible teaches that all people have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Sin separated man from God — and that separation that began with Adam and Eve stands the same till today.

[Romans 3:23 NIV]  23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

[Romans 6:23 NIV]  23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Sin leads to spiritual death — an eternal separation from God. But salvation offers restoration and eternal life. Jesus came to save us from our sins and from the pits of darkness. Salvation is found only in Jesus — outside Him, there is no salvation.

Jesus Saves

• The name Jesus means He saves people from their sins — [Matthew 1:21 NIV]  21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

• Salvation cannot be found from someone else outside Jesus — [Acts 4:12 NIV]  12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.

• He Earned Salvation by Conquering death — [Acts 4:6-11 NIV]  6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest's family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: "By what power or what name did you do this?" 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone."

The question that rattles many — how can a human bring us salvation? The belief is that only God can save. This is the very question that rattled the Jews and continues to rattle many religions today. They waited for the Messiah but did not recognise Him when He came. They rejected Him as their King. And they continue in their unbelief. The later part of this blog addresses six reasons why He took the human route to rescue us from the dominion of sin — "Why Did Jesus Take the Human Route to Get Salvation?"

But the word of God gives a clear response to this question — we read it in Hebrews 2 and Philippians 2.

[Hebrews 2:14-18 NIV]  14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

[Philippians 2:5-11 NIV]  5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

• Christ Jesus — who very nature of God's father gave his own Son

• He lowered himself as human to come here into the form of human

• His birth was not out of sin, he came from a human but was conceived by the Holy Spirit

• He humbled himself to be obedient to take himself to death — not for him for all of us, for all the Sins

• He Conquered death — thru that he earned salvation

• He came to become a human so that he can help a human who has flesh and blood, because he was tempted and he is ready to help us Humans as we face the same challenge today to Sin

How Does Salvation Happen?

Salvation is a gift from God, not something we can earn through good works or though anything in world.

[Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV]  8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Salvation happens to a person — when a person does the following:

1. Acknowledges their sin and need for salvation (Romans 3:23) — [Romans 3:23 NIV]  23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

2. Believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (John 3:16) — [John 3:16 NIV]  16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

3. Repents (turns away) from sin and trusts in Jesus (Acts 3:19) — [Acts 3:19 NIV]  19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

4. Confesses faith in Christ and follows Him (Romans 10:9-10) — [Romans 10:9-10 NIV]  9 If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Pillars of Salvation

Through Hearing

• Faith comes by hearing the Gospel. Without hearing the word and the good news, the faith to believe does not come.

Through the Good News of Resurrection

Good news is the resurrection of Christ — we believe that He resurrected after the death. He lives. Jesus lives.

• This resurrection is the knowledge of Truth — [1 Timothy 2:3-4 NIV]  3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

• Jesus was raised from Dead — [2 Timothy 2:8-9 NIV]  8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained.

• Because of this resurrection He died this sin once for all and He lives, assurance that we will also experience the same when we die to live with Him eternity — [Romans 6:9-11 NIV]  9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

• This death and resurrection gives us the assurance of mortal to immortal body and its the spirit that lives in us makes us the way — [Romans 8:11 NIV]  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Through Love

He loved us before we loved Him to have righteous and eternal life.

• But by the Love He appeared to us and gave us the grace and mercy — [Titus 3:3-7 NIV]  3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

• Nothing can separate this love from us and Him — [Romans 8:38-39 NIV]  38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Through Faith

None of us have seen God, but we believe that salvation story of resurrection, story of love, story of baptism, the word and its facts. This belief without seeing is what Faith.

Without Faith we cannot enter this salvation, it’s the key for eternity. — [Hebrews 11:6 NIV]  And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Definition of Faith — "Assurance about what we do not see" — [Hebrews 11:1 NIV]  Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

What does this faith do? — [Romans 5:1-6 NIV]  1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

• We have peace with God thru Jesus

• We give glory to God for who he is and what he has done for us

• We recognise the power of salvation

• We are strengthen in Spirit — (V 3 to 6) its a journey to grow in spiritual life

Through His Blood

We don't need any other blood to sacrifice to get the salvation as the blood of Christ gets us the salvation.

[Hebrews 10:5-14 NIV]  5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7 Then I said, 'Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll-- I have come to do your will, my God.'" 8 First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them"--though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Why did Jesus do this ultimately sacrifice for us? It's to bring us to the reconciliation thru his blood.

[Romans 5:8-11 NIV]  8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

[1 Corinthians 6:11 NIV]  11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Through Grace, Not Works

Salvation is a gift of God, not earned — [Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV]  8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Faithful to the Unfaithful

He is faithful to us irrespective of our unfaithfulness. Salvation is for all not only for the faithful. Salvation comes to the faithful if they believe Jesus is the Lord. If they profess with their mouth. He does not disown us in spite of our unfaithfulness.

[2 Timothy 2:11-13 NIV]  11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

There is no other than Jesus for us in salvation — [Romans 8:1-2 NIV]  1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Key Things That Happen For Us in Salvation

1. Spiritual Rescue — Being saved from sin and its penalty (Romans 6:23) — [Romans 6:23 NIV]  23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2. Restoration — Reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18) — [2 Corinthians 5:18 NIV]  18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

3. Eternal Life — The promise of living forever with God (John 3:16) — [John 3:16 NIV]  16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

4. Transformation — A new life in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17) — [2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV]  17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

5. Peace with God, Glory in Suffering, Hope through Holy Spirit (Romans 5:1-6) — Through faith we have peace with God, access to grace, and even glory in sufferings because suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope. God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

6. Assurance of Resurrection — Mortal to Immortal — [1 Corinthians 6:14 NIV]  By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. [Job 19:25-27 NIV]  25 I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes--I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

Jesus is the Pioneer and Rock of Salvation

[Hebrews 2:9-10 NIV]  9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.

• Jesus thru the death has earned the salvation for us, even though his the son of man (what we read in Hebrews 1), he did not seat to Right hand just because he is Son. He lowered himself to the point of death.

• During that time — he was lowered than the angel, more like how a human would be — [Hebrews 2:9 NIV]  9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death.

• That way he is the hope to all the son's and daughters who believed in him. He attained the Salvation thru the suffering till point of death.

Why Did Jesus Take the Human Route to Get Salvation?

God could have chosen other form to save man, why did He choose this way to send his own son to the earth as human form to rescue us?

1. Death Entered Thru Man Adam

Curse of Death has to be taken care by Jesus. Jesus Christ is our Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45). Since sin entered the world through man, God's plan for redemption was fulfilled through the death of a man (Jesus Christ). Just as we inherited death through Adam (Wages of Sin is death), we receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ's sacrifice.

[1 Corinthians 15:21-22 NIV]  21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

2. Since Humans Have Flesh and Blood

Son of Man has to be lowered to human to conquer that.

[Hebrews 2:14-15 NIV]  14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

Because we are helpless because of our flesh and blood, we sinned in first place. The flesh is weak he understood that. Because of the weakness in flesh the devil used it to his advantage to make us fall to Sin thru temptation. Once we fall we become salves to Sin. (E.g., Remember the 1st glass of beer that drew to drinking to make us slaves in Drinking, Remember the 1st pic of Nude Pic or Adult movie — this made men to fall to lust, it aroused the lust to see any woman in that eyes, the animal in man to commit sexual immorality is unleashed from there.)

God understood and he sent his son to over come thru flesh and blood — by breaking the power of death — [Hebrews 2:14 NIV]  he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil.

3. We are Abraham's Descendants

[Hebrews 2:16 NIV]  16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants.

God's promise to Abraham / Issac and Jacob is — [Genesis 12:2-3 NIV]  2 "I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

God remembers the convent and rescued the Israelites who were under bondage of Egyptians under Moses — [Exodus 2:24 NIV]  24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.

Same way we are bonded to Sin and slaves to Sin, as Abraham descendants he wants us to save us so that we become the spiritual Israelite. We become descendants of Abraham by becoming the seeds for next generation, thru the faith in Christ. Faith breaks the bond of Sin.

[Galatians 3:7, 29 NIV]  7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. ... 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

The lie that satan tells to deceive us to follow Christ is "he is a foreign God." Christianity is man made religion, Jesus is the only God and true God, the hope for mankind is only thru Jesus. Any others is a scam and lie thats given by Satan.

4. He is Our Intercessor

[Hebrews 2:17 NIV]  17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

The law was not enough to save us from Sin, God the father had to Jesus who could empathise in our weakness, the emotions we carry so that we have a intercessor (work of high priest) who can ask the father to break that struggle for us.

[Hebrews 2:17 NIV]  17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God.

5. He Acts as a Sin Atonement When We Sin

The law says to do a Sin atonement when we commit a Sin — Jesus himself became a sin atonement for us — Hebrews 2:17 "that he might make atonement for the sins of the people."

The death he died was once for all, so the Sin atonement he presents to God the father is from the experience of Cross — [Romans 6:10 NIV]  "The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God."

6. He Understands Our Emotions to Help Us When Tempted

[Hebrews 2:18 NIV]  18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

We have a father (Jesus) whom we can share our emotions who understands our mental / physical pain's as he has suffered the same in the world to help us overcome them when we are tempted to Sin.

[Hebrews 2:18 NIV]  18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

The Eternity is There For Us Thru Jesus Christ

We can be assured of a eternal life thru Jesus Christ, as my redeemer lives and we have the hope to be in permanent fellowship with God, death cannot separate this.

[1 Corinthians 6:14 NIV]  By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.

[Job 19:25-27 NIV]  25 I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes--I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

Summary

Salvation is not just a word we hear in church. It is the deliverance from sin, the reconciliation with God, the transformation of our lives, and the eternal hope we carry.

Jesus did not earn it from a throne — He earned it through suffering, through flesh and blood, through shame, curses and death on a cross. He became one of us so He could save all of us. He is the Pioneer of our Salvation — and through Him, the eternity is ours.

He lived as a man, He died as a sacrifice, He rose as a Saviour — so that we who believe may live forever.

To receive this salvation, all you need to do is profess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour, confess your sins — no matter how grave or small, how big or worse — and ask for His forgiveness. He took your sins upon Himself on the cross — and in exchange, He gives you peace, salvation, and freedom from the bondage of sin.