Faith Forum ~ What is Salvation By Gloria Wessner

The word 'salvation' is a word that many people aren't very familiar with and isn't used very often. We seem to know the word 'redemption' more than the word 'salvation.’
Dictionary.com gives a few meanings of the word:
“1. the act of saving or protecting from harm, risk, loss, destruction, etc.
2. the state of being saved or protected from harm, risk, etc.
3. a source, cause or means of being saved or protected from harm, risk, etc.
4. Theology - deliverance from the power and penalty of sin; redemption.”
What is interesting about all of these meanings is that all of them are found in one person, Jesus Christ. Through His action on the cross of dying for all our wrongdoings and then rising again from the dead, He did definition number one. Because of his actions just mentioned, we who choose to believe in Him and have that personal relationship with Him, have as our own, definition number two: being in 'the state of being saved'. In definition number three, Jesus Himself is the Source and the Cause for our being able to be saved and He protects us from the eternal damning effects of sin. Instead, we get to go to heaven to be with Him. In definition number four, again because of His selfless actions on the cross, He has delivered us from the power and penalty of sin (as mentioned in number three) and given us redemption.
The following story emphasizes from God's word the truths stated above.
“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, are we being questioned today because we've done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,
'The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.'
There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4: 8 – 13 NLT)
There is one more section of God's word that is very timely in light of this article:
“For God says,
“At just the right time, I heard you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you.”
Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT)
How about you? Are you ready to receive his gift of salvation today? Readers are invited to write me at gloriawes@hotmail.com and I would be more than happy to visit with you or write with you how to receive this very special gift from God.