What is Salvation? In short, salvation is the preservation from destruction, failure, or evil. But, you might be asking…
What Do We Need to Be Saved From?
- We need to be saved from the penalty of sin. This is a state of “justification.”
(“Declared righteous, vindicated, acquitted.”) – See John 3:16-17; Galatians 2:16. - We need to be saved from the power of sin. This is a state of “sanctification.”
(“Set apart to God, set apart from sin.”) – See Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4. - We need to be saved from the presence of sin. This is a state of “glorification.”
(“The final state of all believers who, with transformed, imperishable bodies, will live in splendor in the presence of God—a future condition.) See Romans 8:23-24; 1 Thessalonians 5:9.
How Would You Know If You Have Received Salvation?
God wants you to know if you are an authentic Christian or not. In fact, He has devoted one whole book of the Bible to let you “know you have eternal life” or not (1 John 5:13). Read the letter of First John and notice how many times the word “know” is repeated throughout this short book to make this point clear.
Q & A — What are Common Questions About Salvation?
Question:
“If I prayed a salvation prayer but I see that my life has not changed, what did I pray? Did I ask Jesus to be my Savior and Lord or did I just pray for fire insurance so that I don’t go to hell?”
Answer:
The Bible says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31) Unless you see your need for Jesus to be your Savior and invite Him into your heart to be Lord and Master, allowing Him to have ownership of you, He isn’t in your life. How do you know if your prayer worked? 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” There will be a life change where more and more of your character is being conformed to the character of Christ. You will have the fruit of the Spirit as evidence of the spirit of Christ in you producing self control inside you.
“But the fruit of the Spirt is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Question:
“I have been in a sinful lifestyle all my life and I’m beginning to wonder if I am really a Christian. How can I continue to live like this if I am saved?”
Answer:
You can’t belong to Christ and stay in a sinful lifestyle for very long. Many people intellectually understand salvation, yet they have never yielded their will to God’s will and allowed him to take ownership of their lives. That is why Jesus said,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21-23)
What God says…
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23)
