This isn't original, of course (nor would I wish it to be!). "Salvation" is: now and forever (continuous verb tense), the afterlife being merely one part of this period, all parts of the Trinity declaring "You are my son, returned home and accepted because my sacrifice for you covers your mistakes. You have an inheritance. We walk and talk together. You heed my words. I provide comfort, hope, and joy to you as you allow Me. I am beyond your understanding but together we can remedy this on an ongoing basis. For your own good, and the good of everyone you encounter, and the rest of fallen creation, I want to change your past habits and your inborn tendency to do whatever you want no matter how destructive or impure. My determination at this task will continue despite your temporary failures that occur when you take your eyes off me for a moment. You will need to sincerely confess and repent when this happens, but be reassured that no matter how much you wound Me with your disobedience, I will absorb it if you will cast it away and if you will honestly return to My arms once more. You live in a fallen creation for now, but within it you are My emissary and ambassador as one of the first evidences of the new creation for all My children."
Sorta blows away the old "salvation is for not going to Hell when you die" definition, doesn't it?
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2 comments:
Salvation is truly a work of God! This definition leans more to the side of sanctification, but its a good definition nonetheless.
That's perceptive of you - it definitely leaned to the side of sanctification, by design. I believe the church should often remind people that salvation is in one sense just the starting point of one's new life in/through God. In another sense, of course, it's an ongoing reality that comes to full fruition later (in the new spotless creation), which is another point I wanted to make.
And, well, although I prefer not to bring it up...I happen to be in one of the theological traditions that implies that salvation can be gained but then lost (I phrase it as "we believe that anyone can reject God/Holy Spirit at any time if they choose"). Thus, someone who once had a "conversion experience" but has since ceased to undergo sanctification might no longer be in God. That is, to use the Lord's metaphor, he or she is a vine-branch who is producing no fruit because he or she is (by choice) dead to the vine, and the Lord will say to them "I never knew you" - i.e. "you claimed to know Me and do miracles in My Name, but you didn't love Me as I AM." In other words, salvation without any sanctification is questionable salvation. I know this is one of those inter-Christian controversies, so I try not to dwell on it here, when I have so many other potential topics.
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