What Does It Mean to Be Saved?

The Bible speaks often of being “saved.” Jesus proclaimed He came to “seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). A jailer once asked the apostle Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). Perhaps you have heard someone talking about “salvation” or the need for you to be saved. Perhaps you have wondered, “What exactly does it mean to be saved?”

From WHAT Must Man be Saved?

It is important for us to understand what salvation is from. It is not from a lack of happiness in life. That seems to be the snake oil some in the religious world seem to be selling; come to Christ and He’ll make sure you are happy with your life. The truth of the matter is you can find happiness from a fluffy puppy or kitten—you don’t need Jesus Christ for that.

Others think they need salvation from bad habits. That they need someone to give them a little boost and then their life will be great.

From scripture, there are three things from which man must be saved, each leading to the next: Sin, God’s wrath, and Hell.

Now, the Bible makes it clear in no uncertain terms that all men are sinners (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:9-11; 3:23 and Galatians 3:22). Man does not sin because he is born a sinner, but because he chooses to sin. The Bible is also clear as to the consequences of sin—death (Romans 6:23). It is from sin, then, that we need salvation, because sin brings God’s wrath on mankind (Romans 1:18; Hebrews 10:31). Why is God so angry with man when he sins? The answer is God’s wrath comes upon sinful man because by sinning, man cannot do what he was created to do by God—good works (Ephesians 2:10). He created us for a purpose, and when we stubbornly refuse to submit to His good will for us, we then incur His wrath for our rebellion. This then leads to the third thing from which we need salvation, Hell. Hell is reserved for the Devil and his angels who rebelled from God (Matthew 25:41), but it is also for those of us who refuse to obey and reject Jesus Christ (Romans 2:4-10). It is a place where the “worm never dies…” (Mark 9:44, 46 & 48).

Sin, God’s wrath and sin. These are the real problems from which we need to be saved.

How am I Saved?

The bad news is there is nothing you can do to save yourself from these things. Even if you could stop sinning today and never sin again, you could do nothing to undo the sins you had committed in the past. Therefore, we could do nothing to stop God’s wrath and the result of His wrath, eternal Hell.

What you and I need is someone who can accomplish salvation for us—what we need is a Savior! Fortunately, the Bible tells us of a great Savior, Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:4-9; Luke 2:11). He came to the earth and offered Himself on the cross to pay the price for the sins of the world. Salvation is all about what He did for us, not about what we have or can do. It is, in Biblical terms, salvation by grace (Ephesians 2:8).

All that is asked of us is that we respond to God’s grace. How does one do this? First, it is vitally important that we hear the message of grace (Romans 10:17). This means we must stop listening to anyone and everyone else and start listening to God instead. Second, we must believe in God, His word, and that Jesus Christ is His Son and our Messiah (John 3:36; 17:46 & Romans 5:1). This is more than an intellectual understanding, but is rather a deep personal belief and a willingness to act on that belief. Then, one must repent of our sins (Acts 3:19) and confess His name before others (Luke 12:8; Romans 10:10). These signify a real desire on our part to change and walk in a different way. But, our sins are still with us until we are baptized in water for the remission of our sins (Acts 22:16; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38 and 1 Peter 3:21). When we rise up from baptism, the grace of God has removed our sins and we arise a new creature (Colossians 3). Then, as new creatures appreciative of the grace of God that saves us from sin, His wrath and Hell, we live a life that is pleasing to Him (James 1:12). Since sin hinders our effectiveness in our lives, we don’t give ourselves over to it anymore (Romans 6), and when we fail, we repent and turn back to God (1 John 1:9).

So, what does it mean to be saved? Let us be clear on this: it is not salvation from unhappiness or bad habits of life. It is salvation from sin, God’s wrath and Hell. Jesus Christ is our only source of salvation. Won’t you respond today to His grace? Would you like to learn more about how you can respond to God’s grace and have the salvation Christ wanted you to have and died so you could have? Please contact us today at (502) 245-0573, or email us at douglasshillschurchofchrist.org.