Salvation, wholeness, and…

Terry Dashner (www.ffcba.org)

Salvation is “wholeness” in at least three ways.

For one salvation speaks of wholeness in how it is linked to the Godhead. Salvation is linked to the advance of God’s Kingdom, which is in turn linked to God. Since the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one, salvation comes to anyone who receives God’s Kingdom by faith in the Son and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. This illumines such sayings of Jesus that speak of salvation through faith in Him alone. Since salvation comes from God alone, there is no other way to find eternal life but through God; therefore, Jesus’ claim that no one comes to the Father but through Him is true. Only the Godhead can grant salvation from sin and entrance into His Kingdom.  And Jesus is the Second Person of the Godhead.  In simple if you want to get to God, you must go through the Son and experience rebirth by the Holy Spirit. The “whole” Godhead is involved in salvation of the sinner.

Salvation speaks of wholeness by encompassing the physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions of life. On the physical side, entrance into the Kingdom requires attention to the earthly needs, especially those of the poor. The salvation that comes to Zacchaeus’s house inspires him to give half his possessions to the poor (Luke 19:8-10) (Baker Theological Dictionary of the Bible, Edited by Walter A. Elwell, Baker Books, 1996, p.702).  Many who came to Jesus for healing went away a “whole” person—born again, physically healed and emotionally free of guilt. Being “made whole” and being “saved” can mean the same thing in the Bible. Many people came to Jesus and walked away changed in mind, body, and spirit. How is this true? Many times when sin is forgiven that which has been the symptoms of one’s sin—anger, hate, even physical  maladies—are taken away as well; therefore, salvation does more for a person than merely free him from eternal condemnation.

Salvation speaks of wholeness by extending beyond the parameters of national Jewish identity (Ibid, p.702). One reason the religious leaders hated Jesus is because he spoke parables where the villains were the Jewish religious leaders and the hero was a gentile. Consider, for instance, the story about the “Good Samaritan.” The Jews hated the Samaritans because they were a mixed race of Jew and gentile. Jesus especially ruffled-the-feathers of the Jewish religious establishment when He offered the Kingdom to gentiles after the Jewish religious establishment rejected it.  Any man or woman, Jew or gentile, is made the “seed of Abraham” or presented salvation through Jesus Christ. In Christ I may be Jewish in nationality and Christian by saving faith in Jesus Christ. In Christ any nationality, culture, or race is made one—the Body of Christ Jesus.

Salvation defines wholeness, and wholeness speaks of salvation.

Since the Bible was written in both Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament), salvation comes from words in these languages. In the Hebrew language the word for salvation is yasha, from which we have Joshua. Yasha has this meaning: "to be wide, or roomy - a broad and spacious place." Yasha communicates the idea of freedom. It is "liberation from confinement, constriction, and limitation." The word for salvation in the Greek language are the words sozo and soteria, which can be translated by many English words such as "cure, recovery, and remedy." http://www.gracevalley.org/sermon_trans/salvation_booklet.html

The word "salvation" in the Bible is used in many different ways. The basic meaning is "deliverance from danger." You could use the term to refer to healing of diseases, deliverance from fear, deliverance from famine, deliverance from enemies, deliverance from bondage, and so on. In Exodus 14:30 we find the words, "That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore." So in this instance the word is used with reference to God's deliverance of Israel from the bondage of Egypt.

In the New Testament the word salvation (Greek "soteria") or to be saved (Greek "sodzo") are all inclusive words relating the benefits therein to those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

Some of the benefits included in salvation are as follows:

1. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world but that the world should be saved (sodzo) through Him (John 3:17).

2. Women shall be preserved (sodzo) in childbearing if they continue in faith and love and sanctity (I Timothy 2:15).

3. To the woman healed from the issue of blood Jesus said,”Woman, your faith has made you well" (sodzo) (Mark 5:34).

4. And as many as touched Him were made whole (sodzo) (Mark 6:56)

5. To the one leper who returned to give thanks for his healing Jesus said,”Your faith has made you whole" (sodzo) (Luke: 17:19).

6. The prayer of faith shall save (sodzo) the sick (James 5:15).

7. Moses supposed that his brethren understood God was granting them deliverance (soteria) through him (Acts 7:25).

Salvation or being saved includes eternal life, healing, preservation and deliverance. Thus, the believer in Jesus Christ is enabled to live a life of righteousness delivered from all works of darkness! http://www.whatischristianity.org.uk/A_Good_Read/does_god_still_heal_today.htm

Keep the faith. Stay the course. Jesus is the soon coming King of kings.

Pastor T.