A study on the word

SAVED

by C. Warren Andreasen

In the Christian Church, one of the most common words used, is "Saved." But most church attendees would, I believe, if asked for an exact definition, would not be able to give a good answer. The most common answer would be, I suspect, "it means you are going to Heaven."

Saved is an interesting word because it is a backwards looking word, this is to say it tells what has happened (passed tense) and it tells nothing about the future. A person is not saved to something, they are saved from something. When the lifeguard pulls the drowning swimmer out of the water, the person has been saved from drowning. All we know is that the person did not drown--it makes no promise and tells us nothing about the future.

The New Testament uses the word "saved" many times, and the meaning is only mentioned directly, once, with all other uses in the context of surrounding scripture that implies the meaning. You will find in Romans 5:9, a direct statement of just what it is we are saved from --speaking of Jesus it says; "Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him." Put in the simplest possible technically correct words, being saved means only that the person is not going to spend eternity in Hell. If we assume that at that time there will be only two places, Heaven and Hell, then it would imply that a saved person is going to Heaven, however we are told that there will be a new Heaven and a new Earth created (read the last chapters of Revelation), that the new Jerusalem, the city we think of as heaven, will descend out of the sky and be on the new Earth, and that God will dwell with men, thus if we are to dwell with God, we must be on Earth, not someplace "somewhere out there" that is now populated with heavenly host waiting for us to join them.

Since we also read about "the kings of the Earth" and the people outside the gates of the eternal city, and we are told who may, and may not enter, there is the possibility that a "saved" person is not living in the city and is not an adopted son --however I am not telling you that. I do give you something to think about, and to study though.

We are told that if we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouth, that Jesus Christ is Lord, we will be saved, a singular condition. We read elsewhere where we will be rewarded according to our deeds, which says we won't all get the same reward. John 3:3 says (Jesus speaking) "unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." In verse 5 Jesus goes on to say; "unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. I would say that being "saved" and being "born again" means the same thing. The key thing here is that entering the city takes a greater requirement than simply seeing the city.

What does being "born of water and the Spirit mean"? I believe being born of water refers to being saved--baptized (not necessarily with water, but figuratively so), and the born of the Spirit would then have to mean being baptized with the Holy Spirit. We are left with the possibility that a person could be "saved from eternal wrath" but without spiritual growth and the infilling of the Holy Spirit, be left outside the gates, not allowed to enter, and not be adopted into the family of God. This is a sobering thought, and one that should cause us to seek spiritual growth and to desire the infilling of the Holy Spirit. I give you the preceding, and all the references found in the new testament that refer to being saved (in the spiritual sense). The sole purpose of this is to make you think about what being saved really means, and to encourage you to do some studying on your own, in an effort to help stimulate the readers spiritual growth and understanding of the scriptures.

New Testament References to the word "Saved" in the New International Version

Matt 10:22

All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Matt 19:25

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be

saved?"

Matt 24:13

but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Mark 10:26

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"

Mark 13:13

All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Mark 16:16

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Luke 7:50

Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Luke 8:12

Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

Luke 13:23

Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" He said to them,

Luke 18:26

Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"

John 5:34

Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved.

John 10:9

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.

Acts 2:21

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

Acts 2:47

praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 4:12

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Acts 11:14

He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.'

Acts 15:1

Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved."

Acts 15:11

No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

Acts 16:17

This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved."

Acts 16:30

He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

Acts 16:31

They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-- you and your household."

Romans 5:9

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!

Romans 5:10

For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Romans 8:24

For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?

Romans 9:27

Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.

Romans 10:1

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.

Romans 10:9

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God

raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:10

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that

you confess and are saved.

Romans 10:13

for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Romans 11:26

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.

1 Cor 1:18

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Cor 3:15

If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

1 Cor 5:5

hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

1 Cor 10:33

even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the

good of many, so that they may be saved.

1 Cor 15:2

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

2 Cor 2:15

For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are

perishing.

Eph 2:5

made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-- it is by grace you have been saved.

Eph 2:8

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God –

Phil 1:28

without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved-- and that by God.

1 Thes 2:16

in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

2 Thes 2:10

and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

2 Thes 2:13

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.

1 Tim 2:4

who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

1 Tim 2:15

But women will be saved through childbearing-- if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

2 Tim 1:9

who has saved us and called us to a holy life-- not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,

Titus 3:5

he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Heb 10:39

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

1 Pet 4:18

And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the

sinner?"