Salvation

Salvation

Salvation through the redemptive suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the process of avoiding sin and loving one another by leading a Christian life according to the teachings of Jesus, which gains for us a share of everlasting life in the Kingdom of God. Belief in the Salvation has been one of the central tenets of the Christian Church from the earliest centuries of its existence. Salvation can be considered as relief from suffering or punishment from our sins; being saved for the afterlife and eventually participating in the Kingdom of God; or being saved through a process of forgiveness and healing. This allows or encourages a person, by having a goal (salvation), to be transformed by learning and acting on the teachings of the church and the graces of God, which gives us the knowledge and strength (faith) to resist evil, do good, and act charitable toward one another.

Modern believers acknowledge that individuals need to be "saved," but from what? Why is salvation necessary at all? Human life is marked by suffering, illness, violence, and death, and this situation is neither desirable nor natural. The cause of humanity's problems is sin. They believe that sin is a bad thing with bad consequences. The original sin of Adam and Eve (the first humans) brought physical death into the world and perhaps also natural disasters and illness. For everyone after Adam and Eve, sin leads to such things as sorrow, suffering, and violence. Even more importantly, sin results in separation from God, both in this life and the next. According to Daniel Miligore, God is good, perfect, and just, and so sin by its nature prevents a right relationship with God. Therefore sinners cannot enjoy the full benefits of knowing God in this life, such as peace, comfort and help in times of trouble. They also cannot spend eternity in God's presence, meaning that their soul will either be annihilated at death or will suffer eternally in the state or place known as Hell. Believers understand that to gain salvation they must live honest and forgiving lives, acknowledge and confess their sins, and understand it is an ongoing process that should not be short lived.

The concept of salvation causes difficulties with modern believers due to the many varied interpretations of the New Testament. Throughout the different Christian religions we find beliefs that salvation can be earned by faith alone, by works, by God’s grace, or by baptism.

Non-Roman Catholic Christians believe one is saved by baptism and faith. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved…” (Mark 16:16); and “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9). This theology is the basis for most non-Catholic teaching. The Roman Catholic Christians are taught that the Bible needs to be understood as a whole, and not segments that lose meaning when taken from the whole. With the Bible, oral and written traditions are a vital part of the Catholic teaching. Else where in the Bible it is written “You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” (James 2:24); and “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books