Two minute read.
What are your ideas on this matter of Salvation?
We all need to wrestle with the implications of it.
We are going to develop 3 Questions that will give us food for thought.
- Is the message of Jesus primarily about another world or about life in the here and now?
If you ask the question: What is the message of the Gospel. The answer is most often: Jesus died for our sins so we can be forgiven and go to Heaven when we die.
There is little evidence in the Bible to suggest Jesus’ message was primarily about another world or the Afterlife.
There is however a great deal of evidence that suggests Salvation is about the Here and Now of Life.
“The Kingdom of God does not come with your careful observations, nor will people say; ‘here it is or there it is’ Because the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:21
Jesus described Salvation as a; present reality striking perpetually into the future. To Jesus, eternal life was not a destination, it was an enduring quality of relationship.
The Theologian Marcus Borg put it like this:
“Salvation should not be understood in terms of the afterlife, but should be understood as the new life.”
Therefore, to experience Salvation is to experience a reconciled connection to a new Source of Life!
That my friends, is something that changes our lives forever!
Salvation by Grace through faith in Jesus Christ is the main topic in the New Testament of the Bible.
The Gospel is the Good News of reconciliation from death of sin to eternal life in Christ.
How do we define this word Salvation? The New Testament defines its as deliverance from the power and effect of Sin itself.
Here are 7 words that are focused upon Salvation
- Rescue – Redemption
- Security – Recovery
- Ransom – Protection
- Defense
The objective basis and means of Salvation is God’s gracious choice to be, “God With Us” in the person of Jesus Christ.
Rob Bell noted this:
“Remember, Gospel is Grace and Grace is a Gift. We don’t earn gifts, they are given by another – Jesus“
MC
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