Put on the whole Gospel, beloved.

What does it mean to be saved?

Salvation

For the Lord had designed that this [Adam's] sin be blotted out in no other way than by death, which he foreknew and appointed would occur later through the coming in the flesh of his son Jesus Christ, so that through his death our blame should die, through his resurrection the law of our death should be cancelled, through his bodily ascension and dwelling in heaven immortality would be granted to our humanity and participation would be given in the angelic spiritual life that was appointed for us in the beginning, just as it is certain will be said by the Lord in the final call for the judgement to come.

  - Anonymous, Liber de Ordine Creaturarum (Irish, 7th century)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

  - Romans 8.1

What does it mean to be saved? What does it mean to you to be saved? Sins forgiven? Going to heaven when you die? Peace with God?

I am increasingly persuaded that contemporary Christians do not well understand the doctrine of salvation. We don't really know what it means to be saved. How could we? How could there be multiplied millions of people in this country claiming to be saved and this country have departed so far from the moral, social, civil, and spiritual foundations upon which the nation was founded?

Our writer nails it. God determined to save us, not by simply allowing fallen Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of life. That would be to live forever in sin! Sin had to be eradicated. New life had to be provided. Restoration of God's original plan must be achieved.

And Jesus did all this. He blotted out our sin in His death, so that now we stand before God clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. Whatever blame we who believe may have owed is now cancelled forever.

Our condemnation is removed, and we no longer have to try to be good enough in order to please God or assuage our own consciences. Jesus has negated the Law as a means of salvation in order that He might lead us into it as a means to love.

By His resurrection Jesus brings all who believe in Him into a qualitatively new experience of life - life like the angels, that is, life in the very presence of God! We see God with the eye of faith. We engage Him in His glory, and are transformed into the image of His Son. We participate in His divine nature by the power of the Spirit bearing fruit and witness through our lives. We know we are saved because we live entirely new lives, lives which anticipate an even greater newness and fullness yet to come.

This is what it means to be saved. If you're saved, and not living this life, well, what are you doing? Is "saved" just so much God-talk for you? Or is it the power of God working in and through you to in-break the reality of the eternal, unseen realm into the contexts, relationships, and everyday details of your life?

What does it mean to be saved?

It means Jesus. Alive. In you. The hope of glory.

T. M. Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.