Christians often speak of being “saved,” but what does this actually mean? Before we can answer this question, we must consider the definition of the word “saved.” The words used in the Bible for “saved” mean “to deliver or protect.” Think of a person trapped in a burning building. They are “saved” when they are delivered from the flames. The same is true for a person who is being attacked or kidnapped. For them to be “saved,” they must be rescued from those doing them harm. To understand Biblical salvation, we must then discover what Jesus actually saves us from.
Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, prophesied of Jesus Christ and the salvation he would bring. He said God has “…raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us.” This great deliverance from our enemies is the essence of salvation. But then, who are our enemies?
The Apostle Paul gave insight into who our enemies are when he wrote, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” If you think your enemy has a human face, you are mistaken about who your enemy really is. Your true enemy is that thing which seeks to destroy your life and your soul. The Bible defines this enemy as “spiritual wickedness” and “rulers of darkness.” At times, these are outside forces, but sometimes the greatest enemy resides within.
Satan believes that he owns you, but Sin is the evil power he uses to possess and control you. Sin is not merely an action, but an evil presence that has dominion in the heart of fallen humanity. Jesus described it as a slave master that controls a person and is the source of their evil deeds. This evil master in the heart is what Jesus came to “take away.” I John 3:5. The angel told Joseph of this deliverance shortly before Jesus was born, saying, “you shall call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
The Apostle Paul described how Jesus’ death on the cross delivers us from Sin. He wrote, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him (Christ), that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” This is the reason Christ Jesus was born into this world with a human body. His body became the vehicle by which He carried our “body of sin” to the cross so it would be destroyed when He died. Through faith in Jesus Christ, this great deliverance from Sin becomes our present reality.
The same death of Jesus Christ on the cross, which delivers us from sin, also delivers us from Satan and every other power of evil. The Bible tells us Jesus was made flesh and blood, “that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Not only is Sin destroyed on Jesus’ cross, but also Satan and every other power of evil. None of it has any power or presence in those whose trust is in Jesus Christ.
“Salvation” is the work Jesus accomplished upon the cross to deliver you from sin, Satan, and every other power of darkness. Just as a person saved from drowning is no longer sinking beneath the waves, a person Jesus saves from their enemies is no longer controlled by sin, Satan, or any evil thing. They have been Saved!
Simply Christ Gospel Insight is shared weekly by Pastor Keith Surface with believers in over 150 nations. For more information or to subscribe free, visit www.cochurch.org.
