HOW CAN WE BE SAVED?

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Salvation is a word often thrown around in religious circles, yet many people may not fully understand what it truly means. For many, the idea of being “saved” is simply about being spared from hell. However, this understanding falls short of the depth and breadth of the biblical concept of salvation. It is much more than just escaping punishment; it’s about being delivered from a broken system, a corrupted world, and being brought into a new, spiritual reality. Let’s explore this deeper.

We often think that because God created the world, it belongs to Him. This is true, but only in part. In a fallen state, the world has become something entirely different from God’s original design. My six-year-old son once asked me, “Who owns this world Dad?” My instinctive reply was, “God does.” Yet the Bible reveals a more complex truth.

According to John 18:36, Jesus says, “My Kingdom is not of this world.” This statement reveals that the world we live in is not under the rule of God but under the influence of Satan. Several scriptures affirm this:

1 John 5:19: “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”

2 Corinthians 4:4: Satan is called “the god of this world.”

These verses reveal the world’s current state as one under the dominion of Satan. If we align ourselves with this world, we are aligning ourselves with the enemy of God. James 4:4 tells us, “Whoever is a friend of the world is an enemy of God.” Salvation then, involves leaving this world behind and becoming a citizen of another world—the Kingdom of Heaven. As Philippians 3:20 states, “Our citizenship is in heaven.”

Mark 16:15-16 contains the Great Commission, where Jesus commands His disciples to go and preach the gospel, stating, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved.” But why is baptism so closely connected to salvation? Baptism is symbolic of a profound spiritual truth. It represents dying to this world and being resurrected into another world, as described in Romans 6:4-5:

“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.”

Salvation is not merely about avoiding hell. It is about being brought out of this present world and into the Kingdom of Heaven. Romans 12:2 commands us, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Salvation involves a break from the system of this world—a system ruled by sin, death, and Satan—and entering into a new Life in Christ Jesus.

The story of Noah and the flood in Genesis serves as a powerful illustration of salvation. In 1 Peter 3:19-21, Peter refers to Noah’s experience as a type of baptism. Noah lived in a world that had become utterly corrupt, filled with violence and sin. God “baptized” the earth through the flood, but only Noah and his family, who were safely in the ark, were saved.

The floodwaters did more than just wipe out sinful humanity; they represented the judgment and end of the corrupted system of the world at that time. The ark, a type of Christ, lifted Noah and his family above the waters, saving them from the destruction that engulfed the world.

Like Noah, we are not only saved from death but from a corrupt world system. Baptism symbolizes this spiritual reality. It represents our passing through the waters of judgment and being raised into a new life in Christ. In this new life, we are no longer bound by the old ways of the world. We are free from its corruption, its values, and its bondage. So the manifestation of our salvation starts when we realized that we don’t belong in this world, and change our ways as members of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Christ is our Ark, the One who saves us from this present world through His Word. Romans 5:10 tells us that we are “saved by His life.” It is not merely His death that saves us, but His Life—His resurrection Life that brings us into a new spiritual reality.

When you are baptized by the Spirit of Christ, you are transported into the spiritual world. You became a heavenly being. During baptism, it is when you declare that the world you once belonged to is no longer your home. You now belong to a new world, and this declaration begins at the moment of your baptism.

In this new world, everything changes. You cannot carry anything from your former world into this new one. Galatians 3:28 states, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Everything is new here. In this new world, your old identity is no longer relevant. Your social status, your background, and even your sins are left behind in the waters of baptism. You emerge as a new creation.

You may have been poor in the physical world, but in this new spiritual world, you are rich in heavenly blessings (Eph. 3:8).

You may have been bound by sin in the physical world, but in this new world, you are declared righteous and holy (Rom 5:1).

You may have have been dead in sin in the physical world, but in this new one, you have eternal Life (John 3:16, 10:28-30).

You may have been ill and stricken with sickness in the current physical world, in this new one where you belong now, you have been healed (Isa. 53:5).

You may be a beggar in this physical world but in the new world where you are now, you are among the kings and lords who will sit on the throne with our Lord Jesus (Rev. 3:21).

When we read in Acts 16:30-31 the story of the Philippian jailer, Paul tells him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you and your household will be saved.” Salvation is not only for the individual; it affects the whole household. When the head of the household comes to faith in Christ, it has a transformative effect on the entire family. The spiritual systems of that household are changed as they come under the rule of Christ.

This is why it is so important for individuals, especially the Husbands or the head of the family, to come to faith and for families to follow suit. Salvation has a ripple effect, transforming not only individuals but entire communities and households.

In conclusion, salvation is not just about escaping hell. It is about being delivered from this corrupt world and entering into the Kingdom of God. We are saved by leaving behind the system of this world—its values, its corruption, and its bondage—and being resurrected into a new spiritual reality in Christ. Baptism is the outward symbol of this inward transformation, marking the end of our old life and the beginning of a new life in the Spirit.

When we place our faith in Christ, we leave the world behind and embrace the Kingdom of Heaven. This new life is one of eternal riches, spiritual blessings, and ultimate freedom in Christ. So, salvation is much more than a future hope of avoiding punishment; it is a present reality that transforms our lives and leads us into the fullness of God’s Kingdom.