In this episode of Let’s Talk: Truth in Love, we take on one of the biggest and most frequently used words in Christianity—salvation. It’s a word many of us have heard all our lives, yet few have paused to ask: What does the Bible actually mean when it talks about being saved?
We begin by exploring the biblical meaning of salvation itself. In Scripture, to be saved means to be rescued, delivered, or made whole. From the Hebrew yesha and Yeshua (“God saves”) to the Greek sozo, the Bible presents salvation as far more than a single moment—it is God’s work of restoration, reconciliation, and healing. In both the Old and New Testaments, salvation includes rescue from danger, healing from sickness, deliverance from enemies, and ultimately, reconciliation with God.
At the heart of the gospel, salvation addresses humanity’s greatest problem: separation from God caused by sin. Sin brings death—not because God is cruel, but because separation from the source of life results in death. In love and justice, God sent Jesus—the Lamb of God—to reap what we had sown. On the cross, Christ experienced our separation so that we could be restored. Through repentance, faith, and receiving the Holy Spirit, that separation ends, and we are born again—born of God, with God’s own Spirit now dwelling within us.
But Scripture doesn’t stop there. The Bible also teaches that we are being saved—a continuing work of God that heals the damage sin has done and breaks its power over our lives. Through the Holy Spirit, God restores identity, heals wounds, renews minds, and transforms relationships. Salvation becomes an ongoing process of wholeness, freedom, and transformation as God works in us and with us.
Finally, we look ahead to the ultimate salvation still to come—the promise of a new heaven and a new earth, where every tear is wiped away and we will see Christ as He is. Salvation, from beginning to end, is God’s loving plan to rescue, restore, and bring His children fully home.
Looking for more? Dive deeper into the truth in love with these three insightful books:
• Moon in the Darkness
• Be with Jesus, Be like Jesus, Be for Jesus
• Christ in Us is the Hope of Glory
These books are available online. To learn more, visit
https://friendsofthekingministries.org, where you can also read columns written for the Kingsport Times-News over the last eighteen years.
God bless, and we look forward to having you join us for the next episode.
