Salvation is a concept that is central to the Christian faith and refers to being rescued by God from the consequences of our wrongdoing. It is the deliverance from danger or suffering, and the word carries the idea of victory, health, or preservation. The Bible uses the words saved or salvation to refer to temporal, physical deliverance, as well as eternal, spiritual deliverance. In the Christian doctrine of salvation, we are saved from “wrath,” that is, from God’s judgment of sin. Our sin has separated us from God, and the consequence of sin is death. Biblical salvation refers to our deliverance from the consequence of sin and therefore involves the removal of sin. We are saved from both the power and penalty of sin.

Salvation is described as a free gift from God, but it is said to be unattainable without obedience to Christ as King and good works, such as baptism, confession of sins, evangelizing, and promoting Gods Kingdom, that are prompted by faith. According to Christian teaching, works prove that faith is genuine. Most Protestants believe that salvation is achieved through Gods grace alone, and once salvation is secured in the person, good works will be a result of this, allowing good works to often operate as a signifier for salvation. Some Protestants understand this to mean that God saves solely by grace, and that works follow as a necessary consequence of saving grace.

Salvation is a process that begins when we accept Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. We are saved, or delivered, from our past sins and their penalty (death) . We must then begin a life of change and growth—becoming more like our Savior, Jesus Christ. If we continue to repent and change and remain faithful for our whole life, we will then receive eternal life when the salvation process is complete.

In summary, salvation is the deliverance from danger or suffering, and in the Christian faith, it refers to being rescued by God from the consequences of our wrongdoing. It is a free gift from God, but it requires obedience to Christ as King and good works prompted by faith. Salvation is a process that begins with accepting Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for our sins and involves a life of change and growth.