Some Kind of Saved
I was sitting across from a college classmate, a guy I knew was raised in church and considered himself to be a Christian. We were slamming down a sandwich between classes, catching up on the weekend. Another classmate of ours had recently come to know Christ and I was excited to share the news. I told him that our friend “got saved this weekend.” He stopped chewing, thought for a while, looked up at me confused, and said, “Saved from what?”
Just as in English, the word “saved” in the original language of the New Testament (Greek) has a range of meanings. It can mean being physically rescued from danger, like if a fireman pulls you from a burning car, or a stranger in Shoney’s gives you the Heimlich to dislodge a section of steak gristle. When we use it in church, we usually mean that someone has been rescued from the penalty of sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Of course with any “churchy” words we use (such as justification, sanctification, propitiation, sovereignty), we risk alienating someone who hasn’t yet learned what they mean. That’s why it’s good to take the time to define your terms, while also not discarding some of the words that help summarize profound theological truths.
After my lunch mate responded with his question, I didn’t know what to say for a beat. But then I went to the basics and just explained a simple gospel outline, and that our friend had come to believe this message and trust in Jesus. He thought for a second and said, “Oh. Yeah. Cool.”
This week we’ll talk more about another use of the word “saved” or “salvation.” It can also refer to not just the initial act of being saved, but also all that happens as one grows in their understanding of what it means to be saved. That’s most likely what the word “salvation” meant in 1 Peter 1:9, which we studied last week. Our verses this Sunday will keep unpacking that idea.
Pray that in the coming years, many all throughout Valley Station and the South End of Louisville will come to know what it truly means to be saved, to be rescued from sin and death through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Photo by Josh Eckstein on Unsplash