“And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: “The Lord has sworn and will not relent, ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek’”), by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:20-25 NKJV)
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:4-10 NKJV)
“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:8-12 NLT)
Here we are again at the door labeled “Salvation.” Each time we go down the Pathway to Restoration we see and learn a little more. I wonder what will be revealed to us today as we take a closer look at this door?
Let’s begin by taking a closer look at this word itself. Knowing that it was originally translated from Greek it only makes sense to see what the Greek word actually is. The main Greek word translated into English as “salvation” is “soteria.” This word means deliverance, preservation, or safety. It relates to being rescued from physical danger or spiritual peril (sin).
According to Strong’s Concordance…
…Noun (salvation): Soteria (4991) denotes the act of saving or the state of being saved.
…Verb: (to save): sozo which means to save, heal, rescue, or make whole.
…Context: It implies a holistic rescue covering spirit, soul, and body, including healing and deliverance from enemies.
…Root: Soteria is derived from soter meaning “Savior.”
Somehow in our current “Evangelical Christian” viewpoint we have narrowed the concept of salvation to simply being forgiven of sin in order to escape Hell and end up in Heaven. As foundational as this forgiveness is, and as essential an eternal perspective that includes Heaven and Hell may be, Jesus and his original disciples had a much broader view of the concept of “being saved.” Jesus proclaimed and demonstrated a Gospel of the Kingdom which focused on life today and touched every aspect of life now and forever. While he did speak of the future, over 90% of his message was for life in the present (today).
“Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of baptism. And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. “And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear, not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.” (Acts 10:34-43 NLT)
“When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” (Mark 2:5-12 NKJV)
Everywhere that Jesus went he declared that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. He even went so far as to say that it is in our hearts. He demonstrated the reality of his message by bringing Heaven’s solutions to all of humanity’s problems. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, delivered those in bondage, cast out demons, and set captives free. He preached the Gospel to the poor and brought relief to those in need. He did so much more than just forgive sins for Heaven some day. He “saved to the uttermost.”
When we once again enter the house through the Door of Salvation, we will see even more clearly that “salvation” is for the whole person (spirit, soul, and body). It will also become crystal clear that “salvation” is a present tense reality. Eternity is NOW. The Kingdom of Heaven is here now and will never end.
Think about…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 472: Pathway to Restoration – Part 12