Mat 14:30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
Just a basic perusal of the word “salvation” in the NT one can see that the scripture has to be describing at least two. The use of the English word as found in the dictionary:
SALVA’TION, n. [L. salvo, to save.]
1. The act of saving; preservation from destruction, danger or great calamity.
The word as it is used to describe preservation from physical danger.
Matthew 27:42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
Luke 1:71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
Matthew 8:25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
1 Timothy 2:15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
Acts 27:31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
It is obvious that being saved from physical harm is the context of the above verses. It would be a mistake to apply these verses to John 3:16. Apart from that, though, the scripture also refers to spiritual harm, both eternal, as in without end, and temporal. Let’s look at the term salvation in reference to eternal harm.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Acts 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
In a spectacular way ( I know not how else to describe it) the physical salvation from harm is also used in a way to point to the “spiritual” salvation. Take for instance the prophecy of Joel.
Joe 2:30-32 (30) And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(31) The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.(32) And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
Acts 2:19-21 (KJV) And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The context of Joel 2:32 is the final deliverance of the Jewish remnant at the end of this present world. Peter, through the Holy Spirit, uses it to warn the people, he was presently witnessing to, of spiritual destruction. Paul uses it again in Romans 10:13.
Upon closer examination and understanding of English Grammar we see another salvation that is “future” tense.
Romans 8:24 (KJV) For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
I will use the above verse to “springboard” into a deeper level of understanding. Paul is referring to a future hope that we can only know and see by faith. The question that he asks is proof that this “salvation” is yet future: “ for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?”. The answer is obviously in that it is not yet here. It is a future salvation based on a “hope” that is not yet apparent.
Below are more examples of a future salvation that a Christian cannot obtain until the day that faith is replaced with sight.
1 Corinthians 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
Timothy is to continue in Paul’s doctrine if he is to be saved in the future. The Corinthian believer is warned about those that have no works at the “Judgement Seat of Christ”. That he or she would be saved, but only by fire. A fire, that I submit, is a purifying fire. The same fire that our Lord said would be the end result of those “In Christ” that have no fruit (works of the Spirit); John 15:2,6. See also Hebrews chapter 6.
What kind of salvation is this? This can’t be the salvation that is spoken of by our Lord in the gospel of John chapter 3.
Understanding this “dualism” separates the young Christian, who is still living on the milk of the word, from the older Saint that feasts on the meat.
James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
Even the child of God needs to be saved. James is writing to “born again brethren” and yet even they, as well as 21st century Christians, need to add works to faith for a future salvation. Standing without falling at the Judgment Seat of Christ is salvation from temporal loss. A Salvation that is drawing nearer as we approach the “Revelation” of Christ from heaven.
Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 Timothy 2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
A salvation that is drawing near certainly cannot be upon us yet. Even the “elect” needed to obtain it. For it is the end of our faith. When this salvation is revealed it will not be from a state of faith, for those that obtain it, but of sight. This salvation is the culmination of this age of faith that we live it. For the just shall live by faith, now! But later both it, and hope, will be done away with.
My prayer is that a child of God would carefully consider what has been proposed. Search the scripture and prayerfully meditate upon it.
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
1 Peter 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Hebrews 6:11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: