What Does Salvation Mean? – Sunday Thought For The Day

One of the many verses in scripture that have special meaning to me, is Romans 1:16 (KJV). It reads: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 

I will proclaim the gospel of Christ anywhere and to any person.  When you and I live our lives in a way that testifies to our being born again in Jesus Christ, proclaiming the gospel of Christ is evidence and testimony of our salvation.

A question that the unsaved cannot answer factually, would be: “What is salvation and what does it mean.”  I believe one of the more succinct answers to their dilemma is answered by the late C. I. Scofield, D.D.

Scofield rightly and thoroughly explains the meaning of salvation as follows:

The Hebrew and Greek words for “salvation” imply the ideas of deliverance, safety, preservation, healing and soundness: “Salvation” is great inclusive word of the gospel, gathering into itself all the redemptive acts and processes: as justification, redemption, grace, propitiation, imputation, forgiveness, sanctification and glorification.  Salvation is in three tenses: (1) The Christian has been saved from the guilt and penalty of sin (Luke 7:50; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 2:15; Ephesians 2:5, 8; 2 Timothy 1:9) and is safe.  (2) The Christian is being saved from the habit and dominion of sin (Romans 6:14, 8:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 2:19-20; Philippians 1:19, 2:12-13; 2 Thessalonians 2:13.  And (3) The Christian will be saved at the Lord’s return, from all their bodily infirmities that are the result of sin and God’s curse upon the sinful world (Romans 13:11; Hebrews 10:36; 1 Peter 1:5; 1 John 3:2).  Salvation is by grace through faith and is a free gift and wholly without works (Romans 3:27-28, 4:1-8, 6:23; Ephesians 2:8).  The divine order is: first salvation, then works (Ephesians 2:9-10; Titus 3:5-8). (All verses are from the King James Version)

Our desire and commitment must be to grasp this unalterable truth and too be ready the moment the opportunity is presented for us to share same.

READ:

1 Peter 3:15-16 (KJV)

15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.