The doctrine of salvation is a major doctrine within the Christian faith and so it is essential we understand it. What does it mean to be saved? Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines save as: To rescue from danger, from possible harm. It gives the theological definition as: To deliver from the power and consequences of sin.
What is sin? Webster’s defines it as “a transgression of divine law; a willful or deliberate violation of some religious or moral principle. Thomas Aquinas states: “Sins are actions.” [1] The original sin of Adam and Eve was a failure to follow God’s commands, not a failure to believe in God.
However, the Dictionary of Christianity in America states that:
Some evangelicals have maintained that salvation is granted to those who have trusted Christ for salvation at any point in their lives, regardless of their subsequent behavior or lack of faith. Those who show no visible signs of redemption, known as “carnal Christians,” nevertheless enjoy the benefits of an eternally secure salvation. [2]
These evangelicals evidently believe that salvation is not deliverance from the power of sin because they believe a “carnal Christian”, who obviously succumbs to the power of sin throughout their lives, is saved.
So what is salvation? Is it deliverance from the power of sin (a process that will take our entire lives) or is it deliverance from the consequences of sin (eternal punishment in hell)? Is salvation a new life God has planned for us, a new life that is evidenced by a change in our actions or is it a “get out of jail (hell) free card that we get when we, at one point in our lives, admit our faults and profess faith in Christ?
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[1] Timothy McDermott, editor, St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiæ, Norte Dame, IN: Christian Classics, 1989, p. 255.
[2] Dictionary of Christianity in America, edited by Daniel G. Reid, Robert D. Linder, Bruce L. Shelley and Harry S. Stout. © 1990 by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA; published by InterVarsity Press. All rights reserved.
