Saved?

MARK 10:25-26 “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?”

I can remember the first time I heard someone refer to being “saved” in the spiritual sense. I had a Christian friend in middle school who witnessed to me and my reaction was, “What do you mean ‘saved’? Saved from what?” In the years since I have encountered other people, some professed Christians, express confusion over this terminology.

“Saved” is used in this context all throughout the New Testament. Jesus said Himself in Luke 8:12, “Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.” Acts 4:12 is clearly referring to saved as receiving salvation: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Many are familiar with John 3:16 but perhaps not the verse which follows, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” It troubles me when terms like “saved” or “born again” confuses people because 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

Some of the confusion may stem from its usage. We are familiar with using it to describe a rescue. If you do not recognize salvation as a rescue mission then you are not fully aware of the consequences.

If you are saved, you have been saved from spending eternity in Hell. In Mark 9:43, Jesus describes Hell as, “the fire that never shall be quenched”. Just as a fireman can save you from suffering death in a burning building, Jesus can save you from burning for eternity.

If you are “saved”, you have been saved from the burden of your sin. If you are drowning in water and someone physically removes you from danger then you are saved. We are drowning in our own sin until Jesus comes to pull us out.

If you are “saved”, you have been saved from yourself. Ephesians 2:3 tells us we are “by nature the children of wrath” but when we are “saved” Jesus begins a complete renovation project. As 1 Peter 1:23 describes it, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”

I can think of no better term to describe what Jesus has done for me than “saved”. I have been saved by the blood of Christ-have you?