Defining "Salvation"

The Furrows by Stephen Oachs

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"No man can understand spiritual mysteries by carnal reason."

Thomas Benton Brooks

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"God does not expect us to submit our faith to him without reason,

but the very limits of our reason make faith a necessity"

Saint Augustine of Hippo

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"I read my Bible to know what people ought to do,

and my newspaper to know what they are doing."

John Henry Newman

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DEFINING "SALVATION"

Glenn H. Jackson

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. . . . "The LORD is my Light and my Salvation - whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, [even then] in this will I be confident.

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One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple. [Ps. 16:11; 18:6; 65:4; Luke 2:37.]

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For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock. And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me; in His tent I will offer sacrifices and shouting of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord". . . Psalms 27:1-6 The Amplified Translation

. . . . "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?". . . . Hebrews 1:14 NASB

The word "salvation" is one of the most misused words frequenting the vocabulary of those in the church at large. The word for the new birth and the word for salvation [deliverance] are two different words in the Greek.

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Although the "new birth" is most certainly part of our "salvation" the actual word for the New Birth is "another": anew, or from above; + "gennao": to be born; which literally means "born again from above" [John 3:3].

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The word for salvation is "soteria", and it literally means "deliverance from every temporal evil" - and this of course encompasses EVERYTHING that we were redeemed from by the precious Blood of Jesus. It is important for every believer to understand that the principal meaning of the word salvation refers to the FULLNESS of our precious inheritance [Covenant] in Christ and, thus, the totality of the true Christian life and walk.

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One of the great dangers of misunderstanding the true meaning of the word "salvation" is that many remain content in their "walk" in a spirit of self-sufficiency [independence] - never coming to a revelation of the fact that they were "bought with a price", and that they are to "NO LONGER live for themselves" - and, thus, they never enter into the fullness of their inheritance in Christ [the fullness of salvation].

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There needs to be much renewing of the mind in this area - for it is certain that in this last of the last hour each and every one of us will need to enter into the place wherein we are "abiding" in the FULLNESS of our salvation [Covenant with the Father in Christ]. Because it is from this position - and this position alone - that one will both enter into and fulfill their precious destiny, in Christ.

Related Scriptures: Romans 8:1-2 KJV; Galatians 3:13; 2 Peter 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Romans 12:1-2;