Salvation

As Paul states, through faith we come into the grace that saves us (Ephesians 2:8). In the last two weeks we have reflected on the nature of faith as trust in God, and grace as the love of God made active because of his mercy. But what does it mean to be saved?

The Greek word used by the early church meant to be rescued from immanent danger, such as when on a battlefield, or to be healed from a dire illness. Both scenarios involved escaping almost certain death.

The early Christians saw themselves as saved not from immanent physical danger but what can be described as “spiritual death”. This type of “death” is essentially a separation from God, but the condition has many manifestations. These can include an absence of meaning, purpose, identity, of how to live or love, isolation, and unforgiveness. When we have no fellowship, union, or relationship with God, who is Life, the appropriate metaphorical description is that we are “in death” (Ephesians 2:1).

This death is not a punishment to be levied on us, but a way of describing the state of anyone not connected to life in God. It is not that we will die, but we are dead. So Jesus can say,

Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24)

Whenever we speak about being saved, we mean being actually and truly connected to the Source of Life. If not rescued and healed from a separateness from the One who is All in all (Colossians 3:11), we are lost to our true selves, to life as it was created to be enjoyed, and to the All that is the essence in everything. Lostness is the absence of this connection to the One from whom we came and who sustains life.

If we think of salvation only in terms of being in heaven in the future we miss how salvation identifies a new present reality of relationship with God. Certainly, being reconciled to God, that is, no longer separated, has future implications beyond our life now. However, salvation is not about a place that we will reach after this life is over but a state of oneness that happens now and is eternal.

Because we grow into this healing union with God, Paul speaks of the message of the cross being God’s power “to those of us who are being saved” (1 Corinthians 1:18). We have been saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved. In other words, we have come into this healing relationship with God by grace through faith, we are continuing to grow in it, and look forward to it becoming even more our experience in the future.