Understanding Salvation

Download This Article

If someone asked you, “What is salvation?” how would you answer? Many would say it’s about being forgiven of sins or going to heaven. But the Bible tells a much bigger story. Salvation is about God rescuing His people, and His creation, from the power of sin and death, and leading us into a whole new way of life.

The word salvation runs like a thread through the entire Bible. From the cries of Israel at the Red Sea, to the prophets speaking of God’s deliverance, to Jesus and the promise of new creation, salvation is God’s work to redeem and restore what has been broken. And along the way, it’s also a call for us to respond in faith and trust.

The First Use of Salvation

Thinking about salvation, we may be drawn to the story of Exodus. In Exodus 14:13, Israel is trapped at the Red Sea, facing Pharaoh’s army. Moses tells the people:

“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.”1

The Hebrew word translated as “deliverance” means rescue or salvation. In its earliest biblical use, salvation is God stepping in to rescue His people from slavery and death.

In the New Testament

In the New Testament, the word salvation carries the same sense: rescue, deliverance, safety. Paul, Peter, and the other apostles use this word to describe what God has accomplished through Jesus, not only forgiveness of sins, but freedom from the power of death and evil.

Salvation in the Story of Scripture

If we trace the story of salvation across the Bible, we see a pattern:

God acts:  He rescues Israel from Egypt, brings them back from exile, and in Jesus, He defeats sin and death.

His people respond: They are called to trust, obey, and walk in faith.

But salvation is even bigger than personal deliverance. The prophets spoke of a day when God would not only rescue His people but also renew creation itself. Isaiah envisioned new heavens and a new earth. Paul wrote in Romans 8 that creation itself is longing to be set free from corruption:

“For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” (Romans 8:19–21)

Salvation is about God undoing the curse of sin and death, not just in us, but in all of creation. It’s a rescue mission that stretches from the garden of Eden to the new creation in Revelation.

Salvation in Jesus 

At the center of it all is Jesus. His very name means “Yahweh saves.” 

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

His death on the cross is the moment God confronts the power of sin. His resurrection is the victory over death. And His return will bring the fullness of salvation: a new heaven and new earth where God dwells with His people.

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

Salvation is Jesus, and through Him, God’s rescue and restoration extends to all creation, and that includes us.

Crossing The Context

So, what is salvation? It’s God’s rescue, His power to deliver us from sin and death, His invitation to live in faithful trust, and His promise to renew creation. The story of salvation is God’s story of love and rescue, and it’s also an invitation to you and me to step into His story.

Main Takeaway:

Salvation is not just about getting us out of something, it’s about God bringing us into something new: life with Him, now and forever.

Footnotes:

1. Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011).