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Since the foundation of the world, God has given us a choice – between life and death, blessings and curses. He encourages us to choose life, but maintains that the choice is ours to make. Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death. He gave Adam this same choice in the Garden of Eden – between life under the blessings of obedience in the Garden, and life leading to death under the curse outside of the Garden. Eventually, sin gives way to death, both in a spiritual and physical sense.
So what does it actually mean to be saved? Saved from what? What exactly is “Salvation?”
So glad you asked.
The word salvation is represented in the Greek translation below. (H) designates the word was taken from the Hebrew and (G) straight from the Greek:
Word |
Strong’s Number |
Definition |
y ešû'â (H) |
3444 |
salvation (from guilt, sin, punishment) deliverance, help, rescue (from earthly enemies), help or security offered by fortified walls |
yāša’ (H) |
3467 |
+ preserve, avenge, defend |
yēša’ (H) |
3468 |
+ protection (implying a victory is at hand), liberty |
t ešû'â (H) |
8668 |
+ victory |
sōtēria (G) |
4991 |
+ the state of not being in grave danger; safe; refers to conditions on earth as well as believers being in proper relationship with God and thus safe from righteous wrath; health; welfare; prosperity; blessedness in the Kingdom of Christ; eternal life (physical death brings no interruption to communion with God); deliverance from the spiritual consequences of sin; to have the kingdom of God within the individual; freed from the hindrances of flesh; righteousness; peace; joy; reconciled to God; to claim and receive the privileges of a son; to know how to glory even in tribulation; daily experiencing grace; master over sin |
sōtērion (G) |
4992 |
salvation |
sōzō (G) |
4982 |
+ preserved from danger; loss; destruction; rescue from instant death; to heal, to be in right relationship with God – the condition before salvation was one of grave danger or distress; healed; to make whole; do well; deliverance from disease or demon possession; restore health; salvation from eternal death and the punishment and misery consequent to sin; freed from the power of sin while yet having to endure its presence until the resurrection
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salvation |
Webster's dictionary |
the state of being saved or protected from harm, risk or loss; deliverance from the power and penalty of sin; redemption
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+ means in addition to first definition listed
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