Salvation in the Bible
Salvation is a word that describes the deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians (Exodus 14:13), and of deliverance generally from evil or danger. In the New Testament it is specially used with reference to the great deliverance from the guilt and the pollution of sin wrought out by Jesus Christ, "the great salvation" (Hebrews 2:3).
Salvation encompasses the entire act of deliverance from the righteous justice of a holy God, including justification, redemption, and sanctification. Both justification and redemption are the sole work of God, for which we can claim no credit. Sanctification, on the other hand, is a work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a willing believer. As such, we play a vital role in our sanctification, although it is still primarily a work of God.
| Strong's # | Transliteration | Language | Definition (# times used) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2421a | chayah | Hebrew | to live (3) |
| 3444 | yeshuah | Hebrew | salvation (1) |
| 3468 | yesha | Hebrew | deliverance, rescue, salvation, safety, welfare (31) |
| 3467 | yasha | Hebrew | to deliver (86) |
| 4422 | malat | Hebrew | to slip away (8) |
| 5127 | nus | Hebrew | to flee, escape (1) |
| 6845 | tsaphan | Hebrew | to hide, treasure up (1) |
| 8668 | teshuah | Hebrew | deliverance, salvation (16) |
| 1295g | diasozo | Greek | to bring safely through (a danger), to save (1) |
| 2343g | thesaurizo | Greek | to lay up, store up (2) |
| 4982g | sozo | Greek | to save (36) |
| 4990g | soter | Greek | a savior, deliverer (24) |
| 4991g | soteria | Greek | deliverance, salvation (42) |
| 4992g | soterios | Greek | saving, bringing salvation (5) |
| Characteristic | Verses |
|---|---|
| Brings joy | Isaiah 25:9 |
| Cannot be achieved by acts of men | 1 Corinthians 3:15, Ephesians 2:8, 2 Timothy 1:8-9, Titus 3:5 |
| Done because of God's love | Psalms 6:4, 17:7, 31:16, 109:26, Isaiah 63:9, Titus 3:4 |
| Done by God | Deuteronomy 33:29, 2 Samuel 22:3-4, 1 Chronicles 16:35, Job 22:29, Psalms 6:4, 7:10, 20:6, 9, 28:8, 34:6, 54:1, 55:16, 57:3, 60:5, 71:2, 3, 4, 76:9, 80:3, 7, 19, 86:2, 106:8, 21, 47, 107:13, 19, 108:6, 109:26, 31, 116:4, 6, 118:25, 119:94, 145:19, Isaiah 19:20, 25:9, 30:15, 35:4, 38:20, 43:3, 11, 12, 45:15, 17, 21, 49:26, 59:1, 60:16, 63:8, 9, Jeremiah 14:8, 9, 17:14, Hosea 13:4, Zechariah 9:16, 10:6, Luke 1:47, 1 Timothy 1:1, 2:3-4, 4:10, 2 Timothy 1:8-9, Titus 1:3, 2:10, 3:4, Jude 1:5 |
| Done by Jesus Christ | Matthew 1:21, 18:11, Luke 2:11, 7:50, 9:56, 19:10, John 3:17, 4:42, 12:47, Acts 2:47, 4:12, 5:31, 13:23, Romans 5:9, 10, 11:26, 1 Corinthians 1:18, 2 Corinthians 2:15, Ephesians 5:23, Philippians 3:20, 2 Timothy 1:10, Titus 3:6, Hebrews 7:25, 2 Peter 1:1, 10-11, 2 Peter 2:20 |
| Done for people who trust in God | Psalm 37:40, 55:16, 86:2, 119:94, 145:19, Isaiah 30:15, 45:22, 1 Corinthians 1:21 |
| Done for people who trust in Jesus | Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:35, 13:13, Luke 9:24, John 10:9, Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9, Hebrews 7:25, 1 Peter 3:21 |
| Done for sinners | 1 Timothy 1:15 |
| Done for those who are humble | Job 22:29, Psalms 76:9, 116:6 |
| Done for those who believe | Luke 8:12, 1 Corinthians 15:2 |
| Done for those who call upon God | Psalms 60:5, 71:2, 107:13, 19, 108:6, 116:4, 118:25, 145:19, Isaiah 19:20, 59:1, Jeremiah 31:7, Zechariah 10:6, Acts 2:21 |
| Done for those who call upon Jesus | Romans 10:9, 10:13 |
| Done for those who have faith | Luke 7:50, Ephesians 2:8 |
| Done for those whose heart is upright | Psalms 7:10, Jeremiah 4:14 |
| Done through God's grace | Acts 15:11, Ephesians 2:5, 8, 2 Timothy 1:8-9 |
| Done through the Holy Spirit | Titus 3:5 |
| Few are saved | Jeremiah 31:7, Luke 13:23-24, Romans 9:27 |
| God saves our souls | Psalm 6:4, James 1:21, 5:20 |
| God saves our spirit | 1 Corinthians 5:5 |
| Includes forgiveness from sin | Matthew 1:21, Acts 5:31 |
| Is eternal | Isaiah 45:17 |
| Jesus saves our physical bodies | Ephesians 5:23 |
| Leads to eternal life | 2 Timothy 1:10 |
| Not done for rebellious | Psalms 18:27 |
| Not done for those who reject Jesus | Mark 16:16, 2 Thessalonians 2:10 |
| Promised by God's word | Acts 13:23 |
| Received through repentance | Isaiah 30:15 |
| Saved are called (predestined) by God | Psalm 20:6, 28:8, 57:3, 2 Peter 1:10-11 |
| Saved from judgment | Psalms 76:9, 109:31 |
Related Pages 
- Justification
- The grace of God
-
My Attorney - Going to Heaven Are We?
- Did Jesus Command Baptism in Order to be Saved?
- Water Baptism... Is it Necessary for Salvation?
-
Forgiveness of Sin
- Redemption
- Sanctification
- Consecration
- Is Confession Necessary for Forgiveness of Sin for the Christian?
- Eternal Security of the Believer: Once Saved Always Saved?
- Have Christians Already Overcome Satan? - The Importance of the Word of God in the Life of the Believer
References
- But Moses said to the people, "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. (Exodus 14:13)
- how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, (Hebrews 2:3)
Reflections
We are what we think.
- 07/29/2014 02:52 AM
How Can Christians Ease Suffering? Part 2: The Need for Well Wishes
No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. — C. S. Lewis, A Grief Observed, 15. My historic Christian faith and worldview teach me that God has good reasons for allowing evil, pain, and suffering in the … Continue reading
() - 07/25/2014 02:17 AM
Quote of the Week: Kenneth Samples
 I like my eschatology the way I like my fireworks—safe and sane. — Kenneth Samples, “Lecture on End Times”
() - 07/22/2014 02:57 AM
How Can Christians Ease Suffering? Part 1: Reestablishing Security
One of the most important roles of a spiritual community is to give hope for the hurting. — Dr. Ken Jung, “Giving Hope for the Hurting”1 Why would a good and all-powerful God allow evil and suffering to exist in … Continue reading
() - 07/18/2014 02:16 AM
Quote of the Week: Augustine
Therefore do not seek to understand in order to believe, but believe that thou mayest understand. — Augustine, Tract. Ev Jo 29.6, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, ed. Philip Schaff (Peabody, MS: 1995), 184.
() - 07/15/2014 02:32 AM
What I Did on Summer Vacation
Our family has started a new tradition: end-of-the-school-year blowouts. A few weeks ago we left on the first day of summer vacation for the Grand Canyon. None of us had ever seen this natural wonder so we were all very … Continue reading
() - 07/11/2014 07:13 PM
Quote of the Week: Anglican Statement of Faith
Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or … Continue reading
() - 07/08/2014 02:20 AM
A Review of Dinesh D’Souza’s “America”
Over the Fourth of July holiday my family and I saw America, a new documentary from Dinesh D’Souza. The film, which sparked a lot of discussion among the members of my family, suggests that there are two basic views of … Continue reading
() - 07/04/2014 02:53 AM
Quote of the Week: John R. and Susan G. Josephson
Abduction is inference to the best explanation, a pattern of reasoning that occurs in such diverse places as medical diagnosis, scientific theory formation, accident investigation, language understanding, and jury deliberation. — John R. and Susan G. Josephson, Abductive Inference (New … Continue reading
() - 07/01/2014 12:17 PM
How to Choose a History Book
I make no secret about my love for my country and its history. If you hang around Reflections long enough, you’ll see me address topics like World War II (in which my father fought) and the JFK assassination. But history … Continue reading
() - 06/27/2014 02:51 AM
Quote of the Week: Alister McGrath
God is always with us, a gracious and consoling presence on the journey of life, even as we “walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” — Alister E. McGrath, Surprised by Meaning (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 2011), … Continue reading
()
http://www.godandscience.org/doctrine/salvat.html
Last updated December 13, 2005
Top of Page 
Back