THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 30, 1996 TAG: 9603290055
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Issues of Faith
SOURCE: Betsy Wright
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
OVER THE NEXT 14 weeks, we will take specific issues of faith and look at them through the prism of salvation.
To begin this sojourn, I and several readers have attempted to answer two questions: What is salvation? What does being `saved' mean?
What I believe: Salvation means ``to liberate from evil,'' writes Pope John Paul II, in his book ``Crossing the Threshold of Hope.'' The evils from which man is liberated are sin (our own and those of others), death and eternal damnation for one's rejection of God. I agree with the Pope.
As a Christian, I believe that humans are saved from all evil by one avenue: Jesus Christ.
This does not mean, however, that I believe only those who profess to believe in and follow Jesus Christ are saved. I believe Jesus has his own way of dealing with non-Christians and he hasn't told us what those ways are, and frankly, we don't need to know. As C.S. Lewis wrote in ``Mere Christianity:'' ``We do know that no man can be saved except through Christ; we do not know that only those who know him can be saved through him.''
This means that salvation is a divine mystery. It also means that while one may be sure of his/her personal salvation, one cannot know if another human is or is not saved. That's God's call. Not ours.
As a Protestant, I believe also that salvation is a derivative of faith, not works. God saves us because God is righteous, not because we humans are righteous. Thus, salvation is a grace and a gift. And again, since salvation is a gift, it's not up to us humans to decide to whom or how God gives it.
From David Smiley of Virginia Beach: ``Those who are `saved' have realized that all their problems stem from their alienation from God. They have rested their faith in Jesus, who made that restoration possible through his life, death and resurrection. They have peace with God and should be largely at peace with their neighbors, as far as they can help it . . .
``While Scripture says there is nothing we can do to earn God's forgiveness and mercy, it is equally insistent that the enjoyment of this personal relationship, a gift from God, results in a progressive reformation of our fallen nature. This process we call `sanctification' is the Christian's personal warfare against falsehood, immorality and inhumanity, beginning first in him or herself and extending ultimately into all of society.''
From Willard Savin of Elizabeth City, N.C.: ``I read when the Titanic sank that a list was put on either side of a door of the home office. One list said, `Known to be lost.' The other list said, `Known to be saved.' A man pacing up and down asked, `Is not there a list that says `maybe?' There was no maybe about it. Either saved or lost.
``So it is with us spiritually. There is no maybe about it. It is either saved or lost. That is why it is so important that we, as Peter, know the answer to Jesus' question, `But whom say ye that I am?' ''
From Pastor Joel T. Luetke of Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church, Wisconsin Synod, in Virginia Beach: ``Salvation is deliverance; salvation is being rescued from danger and made safe from harm. Salvation implies, therefore, that we are in danger and subject to harm. We need to be rescued.
``But who are these enemies from whom we need to be rescued? . . . `Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against . . . spiritual forces of evil . . . ' (Ephesians 6:12). The Devil has us in his sights; he wants to take us captive (II Timothy 2:26; I Peter 5:8). Our spiritual enemies include also worldly philosophies which are not based on the truth (Colossians 2:8) and by which people are also taken captive. The third spiritual enemy is in us all. It is sin. Sin also takes people captive (Acts 8:23; John 8:34).
``The wonderful truth is that by his cross, Jesus saved us from every spiritual enemy that takes people captive . . . The salvation Jesus secured for us by his cross is made our own by the faith which trusts him for this salvation (Acts 16:31) . . . ''
From Catherine W. Fiutko of Virginia Beach: ``To me, salvation is the assurance of eternal life. . . .
``We who have a passion for Jesus can't wait to see him and to rule and reign with him in a world free of all these horrors.''
From Marian Canoles of Norfolk: ``Salvation is deliverance from death by God's promise of immortality. Man is a sinful (imperfect) creature and therefore alienated from God who dwells in the light to which no man can approach. Now the wages of sin is death: dust to dust. Salvation is God's reprieve from this death penalty which hangs over us all. It is interesting to note that Jesus said, `Salvation is of the Jew,' (John 4:22). Therein lies the key.
``What does it mean to be saved? It means that your name is written in the book of life. You will never be forgotten by God. Not only are you the beneficiary of God's grace in this life, by faith in his promises your resurrection at the last day is sure with a place in his everlasting kingdom. This is your reward.'' by CNB