What Does SAVED Mean?

The popular belief about salvation is that it is achieved at the moment of conversion. As previously mentioned, much is said of how “Christ did it all for you,” or “righteousness is imputed to your life—it is not actual.” Of course, if this general idea were true, salvation would be easy—it would require no effort. This is not what the Bible teaches!

We need to briefly examine what salvation is. There is so much confusion and misunderstanding about this most important subject in God’s Word. This knowledge is critical to comprehending why some do not understand the unpardonable sin. Just thinking that they are saved now makes any concern about committing an unforgivable sin confusing.

Let’s examine several verses in Romans 5:1-21 that explain how God’s mercy is obtained.

First, Rom 5:6 states, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” Before conversion, you are “without strength.” You have no power to do anything about your circumstances. Christ’s intervention is necessary.

Now Rom 5:8; “But God commends [begins] His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” There is nothing that you or I did to deserve Christ’s sacrifice. Out of love (John 3:16), God sent Christ to give Himself while we were still living in and practicing sin.

Next Rom 5:9; “Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath [the death penalty] through Him.” Recognize that only our past is justified (made right) by the blood of Christ. His blood has literally “saved” us from the “wrath” of God—the death penalty (Rom. 6:23).

Finally, Rom 5:10 “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Once our past is “reconciled,” we can have a relationship with God, because sin no longer cuts us off from Him. The barrier of sin (Isa. 59:1-2) has been removed. The law no longer holds any claim over our lives!

But the terms reconciled and justified are not the same as saved. These terms come into play upon repentance and acceptance of Christ as Savior. That event wipes our past clean. But it does nothing about our future. Justification and reconciliation are not the equivalent of the gift of salvation. Christ’s blood, of and by itself, gives no one salvation.

A Christian is “justified” when his past sins are forgiven (Rom. 3:24-25). He remains on the path to salvation “through sanctification of the Spirit” (II Thes. 2:13). Sanctification means a setting apart for a holy use or purpose. God’s Spirit, within the begotten mind, sanctifies the believer.

You now know that you are saved by Christ’s LIFE. Did you notice the words “shall be” before that phrase in Romans 5:10? Read it again. It is written in the future tense, not the past or present tense! It means that we are not yet saved, but we are forgiven. Salvation is something that “shall” happen in the future. The verse does not say that we are “now saved,” but rather shall be.

Will you believe men? Or will you believe the plain words of the Bible?

Grasp this! Salvation does not happen at the moment of justification and reconciliation. Rather, this is the moment the salvation process begins.

“Saved”—Past, Present, Future

It is important to understand exactly when a Christian is saved. This is a subject of great confusion and misunderstanding. Comprehending it is critical to everything about salvation.

The Bible teaches that you are saved in three distinct ways. All of them represent what is best described as the process of salvation.

Romans 6:23 explained that the wages of sin is death. At repentance, baptism and conversion, a Christian is forgiven by the blood of Christ and is immediately saved from the penalty of PAST sins. So, in one sense, it can be said that the person has been “saved,” at that moment, from death!

But this is not the whole story. There are two more applications of when and how a person is saved. The word salvation is derived from the word saved. So the second way is the most obvious, and it is the actual receiving of eternal life, the pinnacle of salvation. This happens at the resurrection of the dead in Christ (I Cor. 15:50-55; I Thes. 4:13-18), upon His Return. This is future!

But no one receives eternal salvation now. All must first undergo a life of trial, testing, learning, growing and overcoming.

So then, the third way one is saved is that he is “being saved”—an ongoing process—throughout his lifetime. Many verses reveal that nothing is automatic simply because conversion has taken place. This is why Paul says, in II Corinthians 2:15 (RSV), that Christians “are being saved.” This is written in the present progressive tense, because salvation is a process. To believe that salvation is complete upon conversion insults God. It ignores all of the verses we have read about obeying Him!

Besides, if you were automatically saved at conversion, then what would be the point of living out the remainder of your natural life? If salvation is finished at the moment of conversion, why does God not simply take you directly to salvation after you the blood of Jesus”?

Conversion is Not Easy

Christ taught His followers that Christians must persevere in this life. They must demonstrate stick-to-it-iveness. He told His disciples, “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Matt. 24:13; 10:22). Of course, this is not what professing Christians are being taught. Most see conversion as a two-week cruise on the “love boat.” How many Christians do you know who actively talk about using—exercising!—God’s Spirit within them to overcome and grow?

Many do talk about “having” the Holy Spirit, and even acknowledge that it is a spirit of “power” (II Tim. 1:7), but almost none talk about tapping and utilizing that Spirit to win the war (II Cor. 10:3-4) of salvation. Take time to read how Paul exhorted Timothy to understand that he was a “soldier” (II Tim. 2:3-4). Soldiers fight in wars. He also told Timothy to “war a good warfare” (I Tim. 1:18).

This principle applies to more than Timothy—it means you!

Now look at what Paul told the Ephesians: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness [wicked spirits] in high places” (Eph 6:10-12).

Yes, Christians battle against Satan. When they are under temptation, they “wrestle” with him and his demons (“wicked spirits”). But this is done through the “power of His (God’s) might,” not their own! Why do most people think that salvation is easy? This presents a great irony: Many either think they have unknowingly, almost incidentally, committed the unpardonable sin, and have lost out on eternal life—or that being saved is practically automatic and that the danger of committing the unpardonable sin is either nil or extremely remote. Neither is true!

Notice further what Christ taught His disciples: “Enter you in at the strait [narrow, difficult] gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:13-14).

Does it sound like Christ wants you to believe that salvation is easy, that there is no struggle involved? Obviously not! Salvation represents the narrow, difficult—“strait”—way!

On the other hand, He does not want you to become a defeatist who quickly thinks, at the first onset of sin, that you have failed in the Christian path! He wants you to rely on Him and say with Paul, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). This is not a picture of one who would believe himself to be quickly condemned by God because of almost any infraction.

After internalizing that, you must still follow Christ’s command to “Strive to enter in at the strait gate” (Luke 13:24). The Greek word for strive can also be translated agonize. Sometimes the battle can seem like, or even be, agony.

This is why Paul wrote the Hebrews, “You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving [agonizing] against sin” (Heb 12:4). This depicts an all-out, ferocious struggle against sin. There is no better verse in the Bible that demonstrates how Christianity is truly a war against the pulls of the flesh and the temptations of Satan and this world.

Paul also wrote the Colossians, “Whereunto I also labour, striving according to His working, which works in me mightily” (1:29). Paul did the striving, but he only succeeded through the power of God that worked in him “mightily.” Do not forget this in your struggle with sin.

When you need God’s extra help, because you are not overcoming as you should, ASK HIM! Hebrews 4:16 tells us to “Come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” There will be many times that you will “need” God’s “help.”

Keep your eyes on God. Remain in instant contact with Him. Ask Him for special power when you need it. When you have tripped up—sinned—it is not the end for you, but rather it is a signal that you were not vigilant or close enough to God. Determine to get closer to Him through much fervent prayer and deep, intensive Bible study. Remember to “ask and it shall be given you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you” (Matt. 7:7). Christ, your High Priest (Heb. 4:15), tells you that He will not abandon you, because He “was in all points tempted like as we are” (same verse).