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.
- 06/27/2017 07:00 AM
Making Evangelical Churches More Inviting to Christian Intellectuals
There is a growing crisis in evangelical churches today. However, most evangelicals are unaware of the nature of the emergency or of its looming repercussions. The problem is that many intellectually oriented Christian adults increasingly feel out of place in evangelical churches. They often say that as intellectuals, the typical evangelical church has little to offer them in terms of…
() - 06/20/2017 07:00 AM
The Big Questions of Life: Death and Grief, Part 1
This might sound a little strange or even morbid to some, but I am captivated by the topic of death. The first Catholic funeral I attended as a boy fascinated me. I’ll never forget the elaborate Funeral Mass, the foreboding casket lying near the altar, and the priest’s liberal use of incense, which filled the church with a pleasant aroma.…
() - 06/13/2017 12:00 PM
Take Up and Read: A History of Apologetics
This current blog series on Reflections is intended to encourage Christians to read more vigorously by providing a beginner’s guide to some of the Christian classics in such fields as theology, philosophy, and apologetics. Hopefully a very brief introduction to these important Christian texts will motivate today’s believers, as St. Augustine was called to in his dramatic conversion to Christianity,…
() - 06/06/2017 06:00 AM
Work and Leisure: Divine Gifts but Potential Idols
In the Christian world-and-life view, both work and leisure are considered good things. Both come as gifts from God’s hand and are rooted and discerned from the Lord’s foundational act in creation. Yet these gracious endowments can be easily misused and become idols that wreak havoc in people’s lives. The diabolical nature of sin is that it so enslaves people…
() - 05/30/2017 06:00 AM
Take Up and Read: Who Is This Jesus?
This current blog series on Reflections is intended to encourage Christians to read more vigorously by providing a beginner’s guide to some of the Christian classics in such fields as theology, philosophy, and apologetics. Hopefully a very brief introduction to these important Christian texts will motivate today’s believers, as St. Augustine was called to in his dramatic conversion to Christianity,…
() - 05/23/2017 06:00 AM
How Does Zoroastrianism Compare to Christianity?
Everybody knows about the Middle Eastern monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. But few people know there is another religion that originated in the Middle East whose adherents also believe in and worship one God. That little known religion is called Zoroastrianism, or the Parsi faith. As we saw in my previous article, Zoroastrianism is the ancient Persian religion that…
() - 05/16/2017 06:00 AM
Take Up and Read: How to Read a Book
This current blog series on Reflections is intended to encourage Christians to read more vigorously by providing a beginner’s guide to some of the Christian classics in such fields as theology, philosophy, and apologetics. Hopefully a very brief introduction to these important Christian texts will motivate today’s believers, as St. Augustine was called to in his dramatic conversion to Christianity,…
() - 05/09/2017 06:00 AM
That Other Middle Eastern Monotheistic Religion
When you mention Middle Eastern monotheistic religions virtually everyone knows of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. But there is a fourth religion—with an estimated 200,000 adherents—that fits that same category, yet few people know much about it at all. Allow me to briefly begin exploring this lesser-known religion by starting with a thought experiment about what might await human beings in…
() - 05/02/2017 07:00 AM
Take Up and Read: A Treatise concerning Religious Affections
This blog series on Reflections is intended to encourage Christians to read more vigorously by providing a beginner’s guide to some of the Christian classics in such fields as theology, philosophy, and apologetics. Hopefully a very brief introduction to these important Christian texts will motivate today’s believers, as St. Augustine was called to in his dramatic conversion to Christianity, to…
() - 04/25/2017 06:00 AM
12 Evidences for the Resurrection of Jesus, Part 7
I like to visit cemeteries because they remind me that I’m mortal and life is very short. Seeing the graves of people also focuses my attention upon eternal issues like what will await me after death. I like to think that reflecting upon my death will help me live a more authentic and focused life. Having now briefly examined nine…
()
http://www.godandscience.org/doctrine/salvat.html
Last updated December 13, 2005
Top of Page 
Back