What does it mean when churches and church people talk about being saved?
First of all, I would ask you,
“If you break an arm or leg, do you go to a doctor?” You would almost immediately answer, “Yes.”
“Why?” I ask. And you would say, “Because he’s the only one that can fix it.”So, that is the whole of the Gospel of the Christian Church. In the Bible, we find that mankind is in a state of sin and separated from God.
When Adam and Eve sinned against God, it brought sin into the world and with it, death (or separation from God). We were created to have fellowship with God – that’s why we were created in His image. Now, because sin has broken that relationship something had to be done. We were broken and there was only One who could mend our broken condition.
Jesus (God in the flesh) came to earth to live among us and tell us about God; then He would give His life up as a sacrifice to pay for our sin. Because He did that, sin has been paid for but there is one requirement for us – we must believe it.
There is nothing that we can do to earn it because then we are adding to what Christ did. Jesus Christ did it all and paid it all – just like the doctor fixes our broken arm, Jesus fixes our broken condition. This is what being saved means – we no longer have to pay for our own sin (we are saved from the penalty of sin) and we are given eternal life.
Does it mean that we wont struggle in this life? No, we still struggle with the sin nature within us and life still is harsh on us. Trials do harass us and we are subject to all the pain and suffering in this life. But God gives us strength and comfort in our time of need. Remember that this is not our home and some day we will take our place in our eternal home with no more death, pain, or suffering…
