Salvation

Salvation

Why do we need salvation? What is salvation? What does it mean to be saved? Are we saved by grace, faith, or works? To many Christians, this may seem like a simple question to answer. In my experience, I have found that people who have just come to know the Lord, or those with an evangelical view, are quick to jump on the wagon of this topic. They throw out a few Bible verses about sin, forgiveness, eternal life, and think their friend will be instantly saved and is now “in the club.” On the positive side, I think that it is great that they are trying to spread the word, and it can work in many cases. However, there are two big problems with this tactic. One, they are not giving the entire truth and the big picture of how God really works. Two, many non-Christians will object to this tactic because of holes in their argument and logic.

Sin

First of all, why do we need salvation? Romans says this:

Romans 3:23 – for all did sin, and are come short of the glory of God – (YLT)

Romans 6:23 – for the wages of the sin [is] death, and the gift of God [is] life age-during in Christ Jesus our Lord. (YLT)

Romans 8:20-22 – for to vanity was the creation made subject – not of its will, but because of Him who did subject [it] – in hope, that also the creation itself shall be set free from the servitude of the corruption to the liberty of the glory of the children of God; for we have know that all the creation dowth groan together, and doth travail in pain together till now. (YLT)

According to Romans 8, God created all of us with sin and evil. Why did He do this? A hero can overcome any challenge and defeat any evil in his way. Without sin and evil, there is nothing to prove. But God wants to prove Himself. He wants to show us that he can conquer sin and evil, even in the form of Satan, which I discussed in the Origins of Sin, Evil, and Satan. Romans 3 and 6 say that sin is a problem and will bring destruction to our lives. You might be saying, “my life is fine, I’m happy and I don’t need God.” I would challenge you to tell God that. Go ahead and tell God your life is perfect and you don’t need Him. See what happens. Sooner or later you will encounter a problem, a trial, or an issue that you just can’t defeat. It may be too big for you, but it is not too big for God. If God is on your side, no problem is too big. So what will happen if you don’t get saved? You will be thrown into the lake of fire.

The Lake of Fire

Salvation means being saved from the lake of fire. Look here:

Revelation 2:11 – He who is having an ear – let him hear what the Spirit saith to the assemblies: He who is overcoming may not be injured of the second death. (YLT)

Revelation 20:6 – Happy and hold [is] he who is having part in the first rising again; over these the second death hath not authority, but they shall be priest of God and of the Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (YLT)

Revelation 21:8 – and to fearful, and unsteadfast, and abominable, and murders, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all the liars, their part [is] in the lake that is burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (YLT)

Revelation tell us that salvation is being saved from the lake of fire. What is the lake of fire? The lake of fire is spiritual death. It is a brutal purification based on God’s judgment to convert a person into a believer, and allowing them to go to heaven. Think of it as going to boot camp multiplied times a billion. Most Christians believe that the lake of fire is an eternal hell, but that is not true. I proved this in my articles on the Lake of Fire, For Ever - a Mistranslation, and in Catholicism. Based on God’s law of Jubilee in Leviticus 25, God wants to save everyone. A true hero does not have to kill the enemy, but can turn the enemy into an ally. God is a true hero. This tells us that God is fair, just, but above all, He is loving. He created all of us knowing that the majority of us would not be saved. So, He created a way for us to know the truth and go to heaven in the end.

Most Christians believe that being saved means you will have eternal life, but this is flawed logic. Salvation has nothing to due with having “life” or a physical existence. The Bible says that Jesus will come again, and the dead will rise at this time. This includes both Christians and non-Christians. At this time, everyone will be given immortal bodies, and God will conquer death. So everyone will “live” and be “immortal,” regardless if they are saved or not. But, non-believers will be thrown into the lake of fire, which is spiritual death, not physical.

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