Salvation is Elohim's (God's) deliverance of a people or an individual from a threatening situation from which that group or person is unable to rescue itself. The threatening situation may range from political oppression, unjust accusations, military disaster, difficult labour or physical illness, to a spiritual consequence of sinful behaviour or the experience of Yahweh's wrath. The agent of salvation may be a human liberator, king, or judge - nevertheless, clearly it is Elohim (God) who provides the agent, and it is Elohim (God) alone who ultimately saves.
A. Salvation in the Tanakh
Salvation is the theme of much of the Bible. In the life of the Hebrew people, Elohim (God) is the one who delivers from oppression, trouble, or destruction. This connection is expressed through a variety of terms other than the word 'salvation' (Heb. hoshia' or related terms from the verb yasha'). These include:
- 1. Hissîl = remove someone from trouble;
- 2. 'Azar = help;
- 3. Ga'al = buy back, vindicate, redeem;
- 4. Padâ = ransom; and
- 5. Palat = bring to safety, cause to escape, rescue.
Such deliverance is the gracious working out of Yahweh's own salvific purpose for Israel and does not depend on the merits of the people.
The Hebrew yasa' can also describe the help that human beings offer one another (2 Sam.10:11). Even in the areas of human activity, however, the working of Yahweh is evident (1 Sam.23:2-5; Josh.10:6-11). Thus Israel's emunah (faith) expressed its experiences in warfare as salvation (e.g. Judg.6-7) and through human agency in the juridicial process (Dt.22:25-27). Even the king is to be the 'saviour/deliverer' (mósia) of the helpless (e.g. 2 Sam.14). Elohim (God) provides human agents whose responsibilities include the working out of justice or righteousness to bring about the salvation or deliverance of someone in need.
The faith claim of the Tanakh (Old Testament) is that Israel has both already experienced and still anticipates the promised salvation of Yahweh within the arena of history. The paradigmatic experience of Israel's salvation is the Exodus event, Yahweh's deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt. Each new generation recites these events in a confession of emunah (faith) at Pesach (Passover) that not only recalls the historical facts, but enables each generation to participate anew in the event (Dt.6:21b-23).
In its worship Israel characteristically recited in detail its experiences of Yahweh's salvation within historical events (e.g. Ps.105). Other Psalms make it clear that Israel envisioned other historical events as revealing Elohim's (God's) saving purpose for Israel:
"For [Yahweh] delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saved the lives of the enedy. From oppression and violence He redeems their life; and precious is their blood in His sight" (Ps.72:12-14, NRSV).
In this Psalm, Creation is receited as an historic, salvific act of Elohim (God). Psalm 136 extends the range of these events from Creation through the wilderness wandering to Israel's possession of the Promised Land. Psalm 107 speaks of Yahweh's redeeming work in general terms so that Elohim's (God's) saving acts for the desert wanderer, the prisoner, the sick, and the shipwrecked are also available in the present to those who are citizens of Israel.
Yahweh's salvation is the reception of His steadfast love (chesed) and shalom (peace) in the life of the nation and of the individual (Ps.29:11; 55:18), even in the midst of trouble. Salvation is expressed not only in the release from captivity, but also the forgiveness of sin (Ps.85), characterised not only by the manifestation of Yahweh's chesed (loving-kindness) and shalom (peace), but also His righteousness (tsedeq) and truth (emet).
The experience of salvation has a communal (corporate) as well as individual nature. This bipolar understanding of salvation and the resulting tension is maintained throughout the Bible. Nevertheless, the Tanakh (Old Testament) gives evidence of a shift in emphasis from the collective nature of salvation to the salvation of the individual which is then maintained in the Messianic Scriptures (New Testament). This shift seems to have been accelerated by the experience of exile. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel emphasise the individual nature of sin and judgment and the individual nature of repentance (teshuvah) and forgiveness (Jer.31:29; Ezek.18:2b). This is not to deny the communal or corporate nature of faith (emunah) but to ensure that individuals recognise their personal responsibility rather than blaming others. Nevertheless, such an emphasis opened the way to a focusing upon the personal experience of salvation as often expressed in the Psalms (e.g. Ps.88:1-3).
In both the prophetic and apocalyptic literature, Yahweh's salvation in the future - and especially for the end-times and Final Exodus - was increasingly revealed. Yet even from the giving of the promises to the patriarchs in Genesis, there had always been a future element in the nature of salvation, but the promises were never completely fulfilled when expected or hoped for. The restoration had raised the hopes of an age of salvation to begin with a new temple and all nations bringing tribute to Israel (Is.49; Zech.2). Yet Haggai and Malachi indicate that the restoration of the people to Israel and the rebuilding of the much smaller temple after the Captivity led to disappointment and disillusionment because of the earlier rejection by the people of a greater temple and Kingdom than even Solomon's that had been offered them through Ezekiel. (See The 13 Scrolls of Ezekiel: How Wrong Ordering Has Led to Wrong Eschatology).
The final saving acts of Yahweh remain in the future with even more radical salvation portrayed including not only the whole earth but the heavens also: 'a new heaven and a new earth' (Is.65). While previous nevi'im (prophets) had seen Yahweh's salvation as a future event within history (Hos.2), the biblical writings after the Restoration offer new insights using the medium of apocalyptic imagery until until finally salvation will be fully expressed in the arena of eternity after the resurrection of the dead (Dan.12; Is.26:19).
These concepts continued to be developped in the non-canonical inter-testamental peudepigraphical and apocryphal literature (e.g. Enoch, 2 Esdras, the Apocalypse of Baruch, and the Assumption of Moses), and though a mishmash of history and myth, true and false doctrine, gained sufficient currency in the popular mind as to be felt in New Testament times in the theological debates that ensured between the various Jewish sects.
B. Salvation in the Messianic Scriptures
The Messianic Scriptures' (New Testament's) contribution to the understanding of salvation lies in its witness to Yah'shua (Jesus), the Messiah (Heb. Mashiach = Christ), the Saviour (Gk. sôtér) of the world (Jn.4:42; Lk.2:11). Yah'shua (from the Heb. yasha, 'to save' - 'Yah saves' or 'the Salvation of Yah[weh]) was born to save His people from their sin (Mt.1:21). It is Yah'shua (Jesus), and Yah'shua (Jesus) alone, who is the agent of Elohim's (God's) salvation.
The Messianic Scriptures (New Testament) speak of salvation as deliverance from physical danger such a sickness, deformity, demon possession, death, or the "evil one", as well as deliverance from sin. Salvation also includes a concern for the earthly needs of people, as evidenced by the miracles of Yah'shua (Jesus) as well as the teachings of James and 1 John, but its major focus is more spiritual in nature. Salvation means entry into the Kingdom of Elohim (God), or the Kingdom of Heaven, whose King is Yah'shua (Jesus) and whose moral, ethical and ceremonial laws are New Covenant Torah. Yah'shua (Jesus) was interested in giving abundant chayim (life) to the whole person (Jn.10:10). This life in the Kingdom is chayim (life) within the reign of Elohim (God), which is actually present and yet remains future in its complete realisation (cp. Rom.8:1,9), is both within and without:
"The Kingdom of Elohim (God) is within you (in your hearts) and among you (surrounding you)" (Lk.17:21, Amp.V.)
This present reality of salvation ('salvation-present') is the proleptic experience of the believer of eternal chayim (life) in the presence of Elohim (God) by means of pro-active emunah (faith) in Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ), the crucified and resurrected Master.
The Messianic Scriptures (New Testament), like the Tanakh (Old Testament), also know of the communal or corporate nature of salvation. The Messianic Community or 'Body' (Church), not just individuals, was, as His allegorical uni-plural wife, the object of Messiah's saving ahavah (love) as demonstrated on the cross (cp. Eph.5:25-27).
The Messianic Scriptures (New Testament), like the Tanakh (Old Testament), also bear witness to the ultimately eschatological nature of salvation. Salvation has yet to be realised completely in the life of believers ('salvation-future'). Yah'shua (Jesus) speaks of an end of history and the coming of the Son of Man, the final saving act of Elohim (God) (Mk.13:27). But even Yah'shua (Jesus) does not claim to know when this "day of Yahweh (the LORD)" will come. It is the Book of Revelation that gives greatest expression to the concept that the final salvation of Yahweh-Elohim will be revealed on a stage beyond history, beyond time, and beyond the present unglorified earth (Rev.21-22). That day will be one in which Elohim's (God's) salvation will be available to all the world (Mt.28:19-20; Eph.1:9-10; Phil.2:9-11; Col.1:20). This universal scope of Elohim's (God's) ahavah (love) was not unknown in the Tanakh (Old Testament) (cp. Gen.12:3; Is.19:24-25; Ezek.29:9). Nevertheless, it is the Messianic Scriptures (New Testament) which give salvation its widest scope, its greatest motivation, and its unique means (Jn.3:16).
Are you saved? is a question you have probably heard many times from Christians. Since it is asked so often, it behooves the earnest seeker after truth to find out exactly what it means. The articles in this directory will help you find answers.
WHAT MUST I ACKNOWLEDGE AND DO
TO BE SAVED AND REMAIN SAVED?
1. Human depravity (I am a sinner)
2. Elohim's/God's unity (There is one Elohim/God)
3. The necessity of love/grace (I am saved by His unmerited favour)
4. Messiah's deity (Christ is Elohim/God)
5. Messiah's humanity (Christ is man)
6. Messiah's atoning death (Christ died for my sins)
7. Messiah's bodily resurrection (Christ rose physically from the dead)
8. Exercise Emunah/Faith (I must believe in/trust Him)
9. Exercise obedience (I must live out the Torah-commandments)
10. Endure to the end to be finally saved (I must not quit - no 'OSAS' deception allowed - Mt.24:13)
Comments from Readers
[1] "Amen! Well put!" (AD, UK, 5 September 2019)
[2] "Amen, 'works based salvation'. To the seven churches in the book of Revelation...'I know your works... I know your works... I know your works...'. HIS death paved the way for my exodus from sin. But my feet had to walk! I had to DO what He instructed so that He could open up a path of righteousness for me to walk in. If I didn't DO, I wouldn't have been saved from satanism, witchcraft, homosexuality, fornication, forced prostitution. He said to me, 'I will give you the strength!' because our human nature is incapable of doing what is right. He empowers righteousness within us - we have to make a choice to allow it. So it's not so much a works-based salvation issue so much as there are those who preach a self-based salvation which is not rooted in humility" (SJP, N.Ireland, 6 September 2019)
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