The Term “Salvation” – A Fuller Concept Explored

Introduction

As we in Free Grace Theology circles understand, “salvation” is a word that can have a great range of contextual usages. It can denote salvation from things temporal and things eternal; and exhibits wide employment in each of those areas to boot. Lamentably, many in our churches have a knee-jerk reaction when this term crosses their paths in their biblical reading – they wrongfully assume that the word always signifies the rescuing of the lost from the destiny of hell. Those in our ranks are aware of this erroneous tendency and understand the undesirable practical theological ramifications of misinterpreting this word in our scriptural studies.

Nevertheless, have we too fallen into an insufficient conception of this subject that robs us of spiritual benefits and advantages? Is there more than meets the eye that could enrich our appreciation and worship of God and aid our spiritual walk? I believe so. Let me make a case.

When it comes to the different forms of spiritual salvation, they are usually expressed with the following categorization:


The Three Tenses of Salvation [1]

Many of us are familiar with the idea that salvation has three tenses: past, present, and future. A usual articulation of this concept is as follows:

Past: Salvation from the penalty of sin. This is taught as being saved from the punishment of hell due to sins. This is often called justification salvation.

Present: Salvation from the power of sin. The idea here is breaking free of the bondage of sin in one’s daily experience. This is designated as sanctification salvation.

Future: Salvation from the presence of sin. Due to the new glorified body, the regenerate person is now free forever from any taint of sin. Also known as glorification salvation.


The Problem

In our articulations of salvation, we spend a substantial amount of time and effort highlighting, in the various senses of salvation, what we've been saved from. Indeed, this often becomes the singular focus when articulating the various concepts of spiritual salvation we encounter in the Bible. I believe that this is a myopic and insufficient treatment of this important scriptural subject. Although this aspect is a legitimate component of salvation, it doesn’t express the full scope of its usage.


Thesis

In the opinion of this writer, the chief idea of salvation isn't being delivered from something undesirable, bad, or evil – although I’d of course admit that is part of it.

The main idea is that of victory. At the core of salvation is victory. Salvation is victory. [2]

And victory brings benefits. These benefits, too, are part of the full-orbed sense of salvation as well. The benefits of salvation are: rest from enemies, inheritance, and the enjoyment that this inheritance provides.


Proposed Definition

Salvation is victory over an enemy or enemies, the inheritance won by that victory, and the rest and enjoyment of the inheritance that the victory afforded.

Take for instance the quintessential concept of temporal salvation in the Old Testament: acquisition of the Promised Land. It contains all these components:

Victory over enemies: the dispossessing and removing of Israel’s enemies from the land of Canaan.

Inheritance: the lush and beautiful land of Canaan that contained streams, rain, and hills full of useful minerals; with wells that the victors didn’t dig, houses that they didn’t build, full of items that they didn’t provide, orchards and fruit tree groves that they didn’t plant, and crops that they didn’t cultivate.

Rest and Enjoyment: This victory, this salvation, includes rest from enemies along with the attendant peace; and enjoyment of all the aforementioned inherited things this victory provided.

Let’s briefly now consider its parallel in spiritual salvations.


A Broader Look at the Three Spiritual Salvations

Regeneration (unconditional – received by faith alone in Christ alone)

Victory: over death, sin, and the lost state, provided for us by Jesus Christ alone

Inheritance: possession of eternal life, new birth into God’s forever family, guaranteed kingdom entrance and participation, justification that proceeds from regeneration, and future resurrection of the just

Rest and Enjoyment: each of these inheritances come with arrays of benefits to be enjoyed along with the peace and rest these situations provide


Sanctification (conditional – a cooperation between God and man)

For the next category, it is usually called sanctification, but I have been toying around with these other designations: family participation, training regimentation, transformation, education, or royal preparation. I believe this salvation contains all of these ideas.

Description: Series of victories over the variegated challenges in life, enacted through the believer appropriating all divine resources by employing faith, will, and resolve; along with the attendant increasing ability to master and intuitively navigate all situations and circumstances of life; greater usefulness to the Lord, increased favor and intimacy with the Lord – and many other such inheritances! – with the rest and enjoyment of the manifold privileges thereby gained… All of which prepare one to be worthy of the glories and honors of ascending a family throne and enjoyment of firstborn status in the kingdom of God.


Glorification (both unconditional and conditional) [3]

Description: The ultimate victory over the world and sin, with co-heirship as the inheritance, the realization and restoration of God’s original design and purpose for man – dominion – and the subsequent enjoyment of all these and many more superlative, yet conditional, privileges in eternity. [4]


Conclusion

Salvation includes the three ideas:

1. Victory over enemies
2. Inheritance won
3. Enjoyment of the inheritance

I believe that each instance of salvation in the Bible has these connotations.

When presenting and contemplating these aspects of spiritual salvation, let us not relegate the consideration of them merely to the negative, to what salvation is from. In the gospel of John, Jesus often presented the positive natures of regeneration, presenting it as a gift that is to be desired (cf. Revelation 22:17).

Too, we cannot discount the inheritance and benefits of the other two spiritual salvations. A consideration of them ought to induce us to give great effort to win those salvations.


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[1] I have some issues with some of these articulations, by the way. For another time: (A) the basic idea of eternal salvation isn’t justification, but eternal life, and (B) relegation to hell isn’t due to sins, but not possessing eternal life.

[2] The first time I came across this concept, that salvation = victory, was on my first trip to India in 1999 for a missions trip. I brought along the Reign of the Servant Kings as my reading material. Jody Dillow used the term victory as a description of “salvation.” It actually wasn’t though until two years ago that God started to show me in His word that salvation is more than being delivered, but that it is victory and all its attendant beneficial results. It has opened up my reading of the Scriptures greatly.

[3] For purposes of length, I have only considered conditional glorification in this category. Unconditional glorification would be guaranteed kingdom entrance, glorified body, full joy, etc.

[4] May I suggest that this is the salvation of Hebrews, and the “rest” of Hebrews 3 and 4?