What does it mean to be saved? Is salvation a "get out of hell free" pass? Where is the "sinner's prayer" found in the Bible? Do we get saved all at once? Or is it a process? Why is the emphasis on "personal" salvation?
I was saved when I was 10 and a half. I was at Wesley Woods, my beloved church camp, when the altar call was given. I went forward and had an emotional experience. I prayed the sinners' prayer. I cried. I felt terrible about all of the bad things I had done. I was a changed person. I went back to school after that summer with a new vision.
Now, please re-read the above paragraph, and look for repetition. ... That's right. I. Me. The modern church created a paradigm that salvation was personal. I must get right with God. The New Testament speaks of whole households coming to faith in Christ. Missionaries report tribes who move as one body to accept the grace and forgiveness of Christ.
The theology we have built contends that the point of salvation is escape from suffering and torment in Hell. This is a biblical notion. But, far from the cornerstone of the salvivic message of Christ, placement in the afterlife is no more than a positive side effect of something much better.
Landa Cope, a mildly postmodern theologian, described the current focus of salvation and God's focus on the Kingdom by using the analogy of a house. What if I promised you a mansion high on a hill, but when we went there together; only a doorframe stood on the hill. When we boil the entirety of the gospel message down to salvation from Hell we rob people of the possibilities of the Kingdom of God.
"You tell me, 'I'm saved!' and I say, 'Great! I'm glad you're saved. Now what are you going to do with it?" - Landa Cope
Salvation isn't the end - it's the beginning.
It's the genesis moment.
God creates something good in you. He separates the darkness and the light.
The creation narrative found in the book of Genesis is our introduction to God. THIS is the God we worship. A God who creates everything to be good.
The creation narrative evokes images of an artist. It doesn't evoke the image of a scientist. God knew that everything created would be beautiful. The creation wasn't an experiment. It wasn't something to be improved upon later. On the seventh day, God rested. A scientist rests because he is tired. An artist rests because she is happy with the result.
The LORD your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing." - Zephaniah 3:17
Salvation is a starting point. Being born from above is the first step.
In Africa, the greatest missionary mobilization in history managed to produce lots of Christians. It didn't, however, produce many strong churches. One author noted that our African churches are little more than holding pens where people wait to enter heaven.
Salvation is a moment, a lifetime journey, and an unending verb. Our salvation experience must move beyond a personal emotional experience and must serve as a catalyst to changing the world. The churches collective salvation must bring about real results for those outside of the church.
Re-cap:
God wants us to be saved. We must re-define salvation as more than escape from hell. Our salvation must produce fruit beyond ourself.
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