Often Christians talk about being saved. This is a real concept of salvation. The assumption is that when a person is saved, they are saved from something. But what is it? Allow me to make some suggestions.
Because Jesus died on the cross, he did so in our behalf. He took upon himself the penalty of what each of us should experience as a result of being sinful. Therefore, the first concept of being saved is that we are saved from the consequences of sin. That means the eternal consequences. It also includes the consequences of living a sinful life here on earth.
Presumably a person who becomes a Christian has a new outlook on life with new goals and new intentions. This new path that the believer walks is contrary to their old life and the natural consequences of it.
We are saved from ourselves. Because we are a new creation in Christ, our thinking patterns, including our decisions should be different. Whereas once we were mean-spirited, now having accepted Christ, the Holy Spirit would impress upon us the necessity of being kind. This is why Jesus says that an indication of being his disciple is to be loving one for the other.
We are saved from inappropriate influence from other people. Peer pressure is very powerful. When we put Christ first, it counteracts such pressure. We may be offered the potential for temptations from other people’s influence. As believers we have a strength from God to resist such temptation. This is why the Bible says not to be unequally yoked to others. That Scripture does not refer strictly to marriage. It refers to the Christian’s effort to resist a binding relationship with people who could bring defeated to one’s spiritual life.
We are saved from previous goals we had in life. Whereas some of us are very concerned about being accepted by others, our concern then shifts to making sure we are serving God to the best of our ability with his help. For instance, the goal of the past might be linked to money. (The Bible does not say money is the root of all evil, but the love of money is the root of all evil.) To achieve the goal is good. To achieve a goal that is not pleasing to God is bad.
We are saved from the compromises that an unbeliever would make. If we truly are walking the straight and narrow before God, we will measure the spiritual validity within the options of a compromise. An unhealthy compromise can lead to a guilty conscience which could lie heavily on a person’s heart and mind.
We are saved from activities which are contrary to God’s will. Instead of gambling or drinking or sexual activity outside of marriage, the dedicated believer finds himself in a position to prefer other more biblical activities. Bible reading and prayer becomes important. Concern for other people becomes important. In regard to sin, an old preacher once said, “God took him away my want to.”
We are saved from previous use or display of our talents in favor of being demonstrated in a spiritual environment. Whereas a person may have sung at a bar on his weekend, then he uses his talent to glorify God before the congregation of the church.
We are not only saved from these things we are saved to something else. We can rest assured that our soul is safe in the arms of Christ for all eternity. In the meantime, we have available the support and guidance in this life from God. He offers us new opportunities, new chances to experience the satisfaction that our life is worth something and means something. By the Holy Spirit we have comfort even to the point where we don’t know how to pray the Holy Spirit prays in our behalf. We are saved each day to a brighter tomorrow knowing that God is with us, and we have peace with the Almighty.
Christian Writer 