This word is such a hot potato today.

But it probably didn’t used to be.  The patriarch Jacob surely didn’t raise any eyebrows on his deathbed when he said:

“For Your salvation I wait, O Lord.” [Gen. 49:18]   [יְשׁוּעָה (yeshuah), salvation]

I’d be willing to bet everybody there was on the same page about what he was saying.

But just ask any Christian today if he already has his salvation and see how he responds. When you’re standing back up on your feet, you might want to skip arguing about the relevance of cognitive semantics and just recite some Bible passages which seem to speak for themselves.

For example:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to His great mercy has given [to] us new birth [as a] living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,[in order to obtain] an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, having been guarded in the heavens for you all, who are shielded by the power of God by the means of [your] faith for salvation prepared to be revealed in the last time.“  [1Pet. 1: 3-5]  [my emphasis]

[σωτηρία: (sōteria] salvation, deliverance, preservation, release]

“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee would bow, [of those] of the heavens and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue would confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  [Phil. 2: 9-13]  [my emphasis]

[κατεργάζομαι: do, accomplish; produce, bring about, work out; prepare, make ready; overcome, conquer]

So what does Jesus Christ’s disciple have if he doesn’t already have his salvation?

Well, in his letter to “the saints who [were] at Ephesus and who [were] faithful in Christ Jesus,” the apostle Paul wrote that “In [Christ, they had] redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of [their] trespasses, according to the riches of His grace…” [Eph. 1:7]  In other words, they’d been released from the penalty for stepping outside of the bounds of God’s laws.

As a result of their redemption, they’d been saved from the bondage of sin.

[What does “redemption” mean?  see: Different fruit, Same Good News.]

But nothing Paul wrote here suggests that any of the saints in Ephesus had salvation in the bag.  They were, however, “sealed” in Christ as a result of having believed in the good news about their salvation.  [Eph. 1:13]   This was good news because the Ephesians could look forward to it just as his ancestor Jacob did!

Of the over 50 recorded uses of the word σωτηρία [salvation] in the Greek New Testament, none ever defined a human condition specific to any event in time.  Since the beginning of creation, a full appreciation of salvation has always transcended anything a man could get his head around living in this life.  It was perceived as an ultimate, yet incomprehensible presence in guardianship of the Lord, set wholly apart from the temporal hazards of the present age.

While the patriarch Jacob was still waiting for his salvation on the day he died, some in Jesus Christ’s Body today choose to think of their redemption as their salvation.  They perceive being “saved” as being “delivered” from the powerful influence of sin.  That’s OK with me, because I see it that way as well.

So, it’s not always necessary to split hairs—that is, of course, until someone raises the question of whether or not “salvation” can be “lost.”

In such cases, the context must be established.  Because the Greek verb ἐσφραγίσθητε [meaning you all were sealed] used in Eph. 1:13 suggests that being “sealed” in Christ is comparable to the Lord branding His name on those He’s redeemed—something that will never wear off. Some also think of that as “salvation.”

On the other hand, the apostle Peter was convinced that the integrity of the readers’ faith had a lot to do with their eventually receiving “salvation:”

“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, in order that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, might be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom not having seen, you love, in whom now not seeing, but are believing, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the result of your faith—salvation of souls.”  [1Pet. 1:6-9] [my emphasis]

The proof of Christ’s disciples’ faith will be tested, and shall be rewarded in proportion to the outcome of that testing when He returns.  Those who demonstrate continuity in their faith—that is, those who are believing, shall be repaid accordingly.  Peter called that salvation.

That might also be why the author of the Hebrews Letter described the Lord’s messengers [or angels] as those who were sent out to serve the ones who “were about to inherit salvation.” [Heb.1:14]

Inherit?  Imagine that.

Talking about what salvation is can quickly evolve into a “Who’s on first?” dialog.  It always helps to name the players wisely before you start broadcasting the first inning.

“He [David] will cry to Me, ‘You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.’”  [Psa. 89:26]