Salvation

Keith Oddo

Salvation

Salvation means a deliverance from sin and its consequences, and a way to ensure one’s soul reaches heaven. In most forms of the Christian doctrine of salvation, we were saved from “wrath,” that is, from God’s judgment of sin (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9). Our sin has separated us from God, and the consequence of sin is death (Romans 6:23). For Christians, God has rescued us through his son Jesus Christ, who died on the cross and then was resurrected, which gave all salvation.

The members of the church were expected to comply with the sacraments of religion. If a person wanted salvation, then they would have to participate in the religious sacraments as well as the practice of purchasing salvation through indulgences. In short, religion had become a big business. Thankfully, Martin Luther saw himself as a man of truth, and wanted to restore the fundamental values and beliefs of Christianity. Martin Luther believed salvation was given to him, and that through his personal experiences others could be saved as well. Luther felt free and relieved because he was given a free gift of grace from God. It is worth mentioning that Luther did not believe he was free of sin immediately after he was born again. As Luther stated in his commentary on the book of Galatians, he discussed a quest for not only spiritual salvation but material as well, showing that salvation can come in more than one form (Marshall 11). Contrary to widely accepted views, Luther was convinced that salvation was a present experience, and not as a mystical event that would take place in the future. According to Luther, “Faith is nothing else but the truth of the heart, that is to say, a true and right opinion of the heart as touching God.” In other words, Luther wanted people to practice faith with a direct and loving relationship with Jesus Christ. However, Luther was the first to admit that he did not always have a strong and supported view on salvation as he, “recollected that although he became a monk to save his soul, he had remained uncertain about salvation” (Lindberg 23). It was not until his later years where he connected faith, Jesus Christ, and salvation. For Martin Luther and his followers, salvation was not found through religious sacraments, like baptism and communion, but was to be viewed as a gift from God that would come through faith alone, as showed in Romans 1:17 (“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’”). 

The word salvation means to be healed in many different forms, including spiritually, physically, and emotionally. When Jesus says, “your faith has saved you,” he means your faith has healed you and protected you. Salvation does not simply mean you are being saved from hell and are going to heaven, it is much more complex than that. Salvation is personal, complex, and a multi-dimensional concept. Salvation begins when a person realizes their need for God’s grace, usually after committing a sin. The next step involves God stepping in and showing his mercy toward falling human beings, which is shown through justification. Finally, Salvation involves working hard for the grace of God and putting trust in him for protection, love, and everlasting life. The sacrament of confession is not enough, as forgiveness of sins comes directly from God. Like Martin Luther, who asks believers to put their love into Jesus Christ as their savior, God will save, protect, and heal for eternity. In so doing, God’s gift of salvation is realized every day.

 

Works Cited

Lindberg, Carter. European Reformations sourcebook. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2014.

Luther, Martin. Commentary on Galations. S.I.: S.n.

Marshall, Peter. The reformation: a very short introduction. New York: Oxford University Press,

2009.