I recently conducted an informal poll in which I asked a number of people, “What does the word “salvation” mean to you?” or “What comes to mind when you hear the word “salvation?”
Just about everyone I asked said that “salvation means going to heaven when I die.” One person said, “Salvation is spending eternity in heaven with Jesus.”
When we ask a person “Are you saved?” or if we ask about someone else, “Is he/she saved?” what we typically want to know is if they have done what they need to do in order to go to heaven when they die.
We tend to talk about salvation in terms of something that is a future event for an individual.
In the stories we looked at in my previous post, this kind of language about salvation is nowhere to be found (I’m not saying it can’t be found in other places). Rather, these stories describe salvation in terms of restoration that is experienced as a present reality, not a future expectation.
Another example of what I’m talking about can be found in Luke 19:1-10.
Zacchaeus responds to Jesus’ presence by making a pledge of radical generosity to the poor and restitution to those he has cheated.
Jesus responds by saying, “Today salvation has come to this house.”
There’s a nice play on words in this story. In verse 5, Jesus says, “I must stay at your house.” Then in verse 9, Jesus says “Salvation is in the house.”
The name Jesus means “The Lord saves” or more literally “Salvation.”
Jesus goes on to say that Zaccheus is a son of Abraham. In other words, Zaccheus too is a part of God’s community. I’m assuming this is said in the hearing of Jesus’ critics, who were also Zaccheus’ enemies.
When Jesus says that salvation has come to this house, is he saying “Congratulations Zaccheus, because you’re giving a bunch of money away you’re going to go to heaven when you die?”
Of course not. He’s telling Zaccheus and anyone else who happens to be listening that Zaccheus has been restored to the family of God.
For Zacchaeus, salvation is more than just a future event. It’s a present reality.
“Salvation” has legs and it just walked into his house.
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons
Awesome and powerful post, Wade! Keep em coming!
DU
This is such an important message. I wonder what we can do besides just preaching it to bring our churches to an understanding of this. What would living out this new understanding look like?
great great points brother. thank u
I was thinking about salvation in terms of being restored to community this morning as we heard of Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus. Mary was an “un-wed mother” in any way you look at it, and therefore risked being cast from her community. As we read through the gospels, we see the importance Mary had in the life of Jesus and how he included her in community.
This morning I heard a preacher at my in-law’s church say, “It’s the mission of the church to seek and save the lost, then to keep then saved.” We just don’t get it. Seeking is our job but saving is His job. Salvation is no just getting what you want and leaving, it’s forming a relationship with Jesus.
I heard that Bill Russell when asked for his autograph would often refuse but he would offer instead to have a cup of coffee and a nice conversation with the person. Fans who were genuinely interested in him would be delighted. But many who just wanted a piece of him would be outraged.
I think this is often how we treat Jesus. We want to run up to him, get what we want, then leave. He wants so much more than that. He wants to have intimacy with us. The problem is, our selfishness gets in the way of His love.
I Believe that salvation is a deffinate process of being justified, sanctified, and finally glorified. But I feel that I differ from most all inerpretations of salvation. I agree with the once saved always saved doctrine. I beleive that you cant backslide with one sin or onehundred sins. But I dont beleive that any one person has salvation to the point of glorification yet. So if this was the day that Christ returned with his gift of eternal life, whoever recieves it has not earned it nor can they give it back. But true salvation in my assumption is future tence reserved for the last day. There are many Christians, but only one has been born again. Christ was the first fruits and the rest of us at his coming. I use the word “us” loosly because I feel that I am a wretched man who must have faith in grace to the end. I do have faith in the Hope of salvation. But I feel God will have grace upon whomever he has chosen, not us chosing him. To say that you are born again or have salvation puts a person to close to the point of self rightousness. To say that you can backslide puts you close to self rightousness, because your giving yourself to much credit on deciding to turn back to God when the timing is good for you, not to mention that Gods grace wasnt sufficiant enough to have already nailed sin to the cross, pardoning all mankind from the first death. If sin wasnt nailed to the cross there would be no judgment because there could be no ressurection. But all men will rise, no one person will be judged on there sin because all have sinned. I feel that God will judge on the heart, and pardon the second death to whomever he wills. To have Faith in the absolute mercy and grace of God in the Hope of his promissed Salvation. To know that every day nothing seperates you from the rest of the world except your faith in grace. All men are wretched and only God is good. These are just my thoughts, but it seems to me that so many of todays Christians are not seeing themselves weak in order for God to be strong, especially in the area of salvation. Fear and trembling is the beginning and the end of wisdom and salvation in my estimation.
Thanks for letting me talk:
Mathew Gabriel Hernandez