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ScribdTranslationsBiblical terms of salvation
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is power
from God for salvation to everyone who believes; to the Jew first,
and also to Greek.
God offers eternal life for free in Jesus Christ; but sometimes it can be difficult.
understand the exact process by which that life is made available to man.
Therefore, to clarify that concept, God describes various images in the Bible.
each with its special emphasis. This article examines three of those images:
salvation, redemption, and justification.
SALVATION. Salvation (Gr. Soteria) meaning: "liberation", "to pass with
security, protection from harm. Already in the ADT, God revealed himself as
the Savior of His people (Ps 27:1; 88:1 see Dt 26:8, note; Ps 61:2, note; Is
25:6, note; 53:5, note). Salvation is described in the Bible as "the way"
that leads through life to the eternal communion with God in heaven (Mt 7:14;
Mr 12:14; Jn 14:6; Acts 16:17; 2 Peter 2:2,21; cf. Acts 9:2; 22:4; Heb 10:20). That
the path of salvation must be followed until the very end. It can be described as the
salvation as a path with two sides and three stages:
(1) The only way of salvation. Christ is the way to the Father (Jn 14:6; Acts)
Salvation is provided by the grace of God, which He gives in Jesus Christ.
(Ro 3:24), based on his death (Ro 3:25; 5:8), resurrection (5:10) and continuous
intercession for believers (Heb 7:25).
The two aspects of salvation. Salvation is received by grace through
faith in Christ (Ro 3:22, 24-25, 28). That is to say, it occurs as a result of the
grace of God (Jn 1:16) and the human response of faith (Acts 16:31; Rom 1:17; Eph
1:15; 2:8; see the article FAITH AND GREECE, p. 1582
The three stages of salvation.
(a) The past stage of salvation includes the personal experience through which
believers receive the forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:43; Rom 4:6-8) and pass
from spiritual death (1John 3:14; see the article REGENERATION, p.
1457), from the power of sin to the power of the Lord (Ro 6:17-23), and the dominion of
Satan to the dominion of God (Acts 26:18). It leads them to a new personal relationship.
with God (Jn 1:12) and rescues them from the payment (Ro 1:16; 6:23; 1Co 1:18).
The current stage of salvation saves believers from habit and the
dominion of sin, filling them with the Holy Spirit, encompasses (i) the privilege of
a direct relationship with God as Father and with Jesus Christ as Lord and the
Savior (Matt 6:9; John 14:18-23; see Gal 4:6, note); (ii) the call to
consider yourselves dead to sin (Ro 6:1-14) and submit to the direction of the
Spirit (Ro 8:1-17) and to the word of God (Jn 8:31; 14:21; 2Ti 3:15-16); iii the
invitation to be filled with the Holy Spirit and the command to remain full (see
Acts 2:33-39; Ephesians 5:18; and the article THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
(p. 1506); (iv) the requirement of the separation from sin (Ro 6:1-14) and of the current
perverse generation (Acts 2:40; 2 Corinthians 6:17); and (v) the call the struggle for the kingdom
of God against Satan and his demonic host (2Co 10:4-5; Ef 6:11,16; 1P
5:8).
The future stage of salvation (Ro 13:11-12; 1Th 5:8-9; 1P 1:5) includes: (i)
the deliverance from the coming wrath of God Ro 5:9; 1Co 3:15; 5:5; 1Ts 1:10; 5:9;
(ii) the participation in divine glory Ro 8:29; 1Co 15:49) and the reception of
a resurrected or transformed body (1Co 15:52); and (iii) the rewards for
to be faithful winners (see Rev 2:7, note). That future salvation is the goal that
they strive to reach all who follow Christ (1 Co 9:24-27; Phil 3:8-
All warnings, disciplines, and present punishments have the purpose
that believers do not lose that future salvation (1 Cor 5:1-13; 9:24-27; Phil)
2:12,16; 2P 1:5-11; see Heb 12:1, note.
REDEMPTION. The original meaning of redemption (gr. apolutrosis) is a ransom.
through the payment of a certain price. The expression denotes the means by which
salvation is sought, that is, by the payment of a ransom. The doctrine of the
redemption can be summed up as follows:
(1) The state of sin from which man must be redeemed: The NT presents
humans separated from God (Ro 3:10-18), under the dominion of powers
satanic (Acts 10:38; 26:18), slaves of sin (Rom 6:6; 7:14), and in
need for liberation from guilt, punishment, and the power of sin Acts
26:18;Ro 1:18; 6:1-18,23; Ef 5:8; Col 1:13; 1P 2:9).
(2) The price paid for the release from that slavery: Christ guaranteed the
rescue by spilling his blood and giving his life (Mt 20:28; Mt 20:28; Mr 10:45; 1Co
6:20; Eph 1:7; Titus 2:14; Heb 9:12; 1 Peter 1:18-19.
The resulting state of the redeemed: The believers redeemed by Christ
they are now freed from the demon of satan and from guilt and from the power of
sin (Acts 26:18; Rom 6:7, 12, 14, 18; Col 1:13). However, that freedom from
sin prevents them from being free to do as they wish, because it turns them into
property of God. The freedom from sin makes them God's volunteers (Acts
26:18; Ro 6:18, 22; 1Co 6:19-20; 7:22-23.
The teaching of the NT about redemption had been foreshadowed by the
redemption in the OT. The great event of redemption in the OT was the exodus
from Egypt (see Ex 6:7, note; 12:26, note). Furthermore, by the system of the
sacrifices, the blood of animals was the price paid for atonement
of sin (see Lv 9:8, note, and the article THE DAY OF ATONEMENT, p.
164).
JUSTIFICATION. The word "justify" (gr dikaioo) means: to be "just"
before God" (Ro 2:13), to be "declared righteous" (Ro 5:18-19), to declare right or
to straighten. It denotes being in a correct relationship with God rather than receiving.
a simple legal statement. God forgives the sinners who
repent, those whom he had declared guilty under the law and sentenced to death
eternal, restores them to divine favor, and places them in the correct (communion) relationship
with Him and His will. The Apostle Paul reveals several truths about the
justification and its execution:
(1) Justification before God is a Gift (Ro 3:24; Ef 2:8). No one can
justifying oneself before God by keeping the law to perfection or by doing
Good works Ro 4 2 6 for all have sinned, and are deprived of the glory
from God (Ro3:23).
The justification before God is achieved through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus (Ro 3:24). No one is justified without having first been redeemed.
for Christ of sin and its dominion.
The justification before God comes through "his grace" and is obtained "through
faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (Ro 3:22-24; cf. 4:3-5; see the
article FAITH AND GRACE, p.1582).
The justification before God is related to the forgiveness of the
sinners (Ro 4:7). Sinners are declared guilty (Ro 3:9-18, 23) but they
forgiving them through the atoning death and the restoration of Christ (see Rom 3:25)
note; 4:5, note; 4:25; 5:6-9).
(5) When justification is obtained before God through faith in
Christ, the believers are crucified with Christ who comes to live in them (Ga
Through that experience, they actually become just and begin
to live for God (Gal 2:19-21). That transformative work of Christ in the believer
by the Spirit (cf. 2Th 2:13; 1P 1:2) cannot be separated from the redemptive work
of Christ for him. The work of Christ and the Spirit are mutually dependent.