What does it mean to be “Saved?”

What does it mean to be “Saved?”

Jesus spoke of all men as being lost and needing to be saved.

Matthew 18:11–14 (KJV 1900)

11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

In John chapter 10 and verse 9, Jesus again talked about being “saved:”

9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

The Bible teaches that all men are lost to God…

Romans 5:12

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

This is all explained in the very first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis.

There, God told the first man and woman that if they ever disobeyed his will, they would bring death upon the entire world.

Genesis 2:16–17

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:

for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

So we see then that all mankind was lost to God when Adam and Eve sinned against God.

Because of this, death entered the world and all men became lost to God because God is Holy and can not look upon evil.

Adam and Eve used to be able to be in God’s presence before they became sinners:

Genesis 3:8 (KJV 1900)

8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

They hid themselves from God because they were sinners, and they became ashamed to be in the presence of the Holy God, who before, had walked and talked with them when they were innocent

The Bible says that we have all sinned against God, just like Adam and Eve did, and because of this we have become lost to God:

Romans 3:10–20 (KJV 1900)

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:

16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped,

and all the world may become guilty before God.

So, since we have all become sinners and lost to God, the Bible says that we need to be “saved.”

And Jesus said the He came to save us from our sins.

Before Jesus was even born, an angel came to Joseph and told him that his wife Mary would have a child, she would name Him Jesus, and the Jesus would save people from their sins…

Matthew 1:20–21 (KJV 1900)

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:

for he shall save his people from their sins.

Even though Adam and Eve had sinned against God, God still loved them.

John 3:16

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God still loved mankind, so He promised Eve that one day he would send a savior to deliver them form their sins, and from death that had taken hold in the world.

Genesis 3:14–15

14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

After that Adam and Eve became sinners, God set up a symbol by which all men would recognize the savior who would one day come to deliver men from their sins- animal sacrifices.

When Adam and Eve realized that they were no more worthy to walk with God in his presence, they saw their sinfulness and they hid from the face of God.

This is shown by the fact, that for the first time, they felt naked and ashamed to be in the presence of God.

Genesis 3:9–11

9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

So, guilty and ashamed, Adam and Eve needed a covering for their sins so that they be might once again be able to approach God.

This is where God gives them a symbol that would cause them to recognize the savior when He would come into the world to save them from their sin-

God spilled the blood of an innocent animal that had no sin, to cover their sin up until the Savior would come.

When the world was just right, God sent, not an innocent animal, but an innocent man, who had never sinned, to permanently cover the sins of mankind- this man was Jesus.

Galatians 4:4-5

4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of Jesus and what He would do to redeem us and permanently remove the guilt of sin, by being sacrificed in our place.

Jesus took our sin upon Himself, and was sacrificed as an offering to God to remove our sins from us.

Isaiah 53–54:17

Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, And as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; And when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: And we hid as it were our faces from him; He was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own way; And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, Yet he opened not his mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: And who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: For the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9 And he made his grave with the wicked, And with the rich in his death; Because he had done no violence, Neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; For he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, And he shall divide the spoil with the strong; Because he hath poured out his soul unto death: And he was numbered with the transgressors; And he bare the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Before Adam and Eve sinned, there was no death. But after they sinned, death entered the world, because of sin.

The Apostle James also reminds us that sin, when it has run its full course in the human heart, ends in death…

James 1:14–15

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Since Jesus had the power to remove sin, He also had the power to remove death, and so Jesus, preaching to those who had gather to hear Him preach said:

John 6:40 (KJV 1900)

40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Jesus came to give men forgiveness of sin, and everlasting life!

And so now, we begin to see what Jesus said when He said

“For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.”

Being saved means that you have been saved from the penalty of sin, which was death:

Romans 6:23

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So then what does a person have to do to be saved and receive eternal life?

Well, there was a man that asked that exact question in the Bible:

The story…

Acts 16:25–40 (KJV 1900)

25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

The question “What must I do to be saved?”

29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

The answer…

31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

So how do we get saved? By believing on Jesus Christ and trusting in Him, and Him only, to save us from our sins!

Ephesians 2:8–9

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

According to the Bible, God has chosen to “save” mankind from their sins, by the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:18–21 (KJV 1900)

18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

Romans 10:13–17 (KJV 1900)

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We are saved by placing our faith in Jesus to forgive our sins and give us eternal life.

John 5:24

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

John 1:12–13 (KJV 1900)

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Jesus explained to a man called Nicodemus what it means to be born of God in John chapter 3:

John 3:1–8 (KJV 1900)

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

When a person is “born of God,” or “born again,” the Bible teaches that they are a “new creation.” Being saved is spoken of as the new birth:

2 Corinthians 5:17

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The Bible tells us how to be saved in Romans chapter 10 and verse 9:

Romans 10:8–10

8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Will you obey the Gospel, or will you disobey the Gospel?

2 Thessalonians 1:7–10

7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

So what happens if a person does not obey the Gospel and does not put their trust in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sin, and eternal life?

John 3:17–18

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

So, what happens to those who are “condemned already?” Or in other words, what happens to the person who hears the Gospel, and just never does anything about it?

Well Jesus gave us a little peak into one such man’s life in Luke chapter 16:

Luke 16:19–17:37

19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him,

If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.