How do you all define or explain salvation?
Schriner in his NAC commentary on 1-2 Peter in regards to 1 Peter 1: 5 writes that salvation can be defined as being saved from God’s judgement or wrath on the last day (cf 1 Pet 4:17; Romans 5:9; 1 Thess 5:9).
How might you all elaborate on this?
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I’d define salvation as being saved from our sin (and consequently death) to serve God and enjoy everlasting life.
thanks for your input Nick. I appreciate it. I was wondering if anyone would touch on the positive aspects of salvation, not just the negative as Schriner seems to do and is common among Christians – that we are saved from judgment and wrath – obviously we are saved from something. What are we saved to? You hint at it, to serve God and to eternal life!
I don’t know exactly how I would define being saved. I’m hesitant to reduce it to something very narrow and I have not really examined how my view of what being save means jives with some of my other theology. Overall I get a sense of being separated by God and in the dark in regards to knowledge of him (like being thrown overboard and lost at sea at night) and God coming to rescue us and bring us into the light so that we may be in relationship with him. Before we were perishing and now we have been saved from that.
I’m cautious in regards to making salvation about being saved from God (i.e. his wrath and judgment), but instead would rather focus on being saved from our current condition of alienation from God and ignorance of him that is leading to death.
Bryan L
I can see your points Bryan, Thanks for commenting.
I don’t believe that we are saved from God’s judgment. We’ll all stand before God in judgment, believer and unbeliever alike, but believers’ works will be judged to determine their rewards while unbelievers’ works will be judged to determine their punishment. I think it’s all too common to equate judgment and wrath with one another.
I would see salvation more as a present reality. I think Nick is right, we are saved from “sin and death” but is more of a holistic idea. I think the concept of personal sin would not have been as prevalent in the Hebrew mind as it is in ours. On the positive note maybe as Barth might say, we are saved to God as opposed from him or from sin.
Mark: I had in mind particularly Matthew 1:21: “She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Mark, I appreciate your comments. I do think we can experience the benefits of salvation in the present however, I still feel that the fullness of salvation still lies in the future and in the context of 1 Peter 1:3-12 hope of deliverance lies in our future salvation – hope is only hope if we have something to hope for, no?