According to Chistian beliefs...?

Question

Jesus was crucified which saved christians. But I want to know what they're ''saved'' from. I always hear this phrase but nobody ever explains it to me. I'm not Christian, I'm just trying to understand. And if someone's saved through his sacrifice, then how about those Christians engaged in sin?

hmmm that still doesn't answer my question. how can one be born in sin when a baby is completely defenseless, innocent and new to this world and not yet exposed to anything? i disagree... but i appreciate the answers.. thx!

and you can't automatically be saved from hell just because someone else suffered for you. you have to prove your faith in God through your own deeds and your own suffering. There are no short cuts...

Answer 1

Great question!!!

Drumroll please....
I give you my FIRST star EVER!

When I was a non-Christian, I didn't know what all this "saving" was about, either! Much less other terms, like being "born again"!

You have other answerers, but let me explain from my perspective of understanding...
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"Salvation" is more complicated than most Christians make it out to be, though much simpler in practical application than most Christians make it out to be!

But let me explain...as one who became a Christian purely by reading the Bible as an atheist in 1995 (set out to prove the Bible wrong)...

The bottom line is this:
A Christian is saved from: SIN.

...and because the results of sin is death and hell, many Christians talk about being saved from hell. But technically speaking (Biblically speaking), we are saved from our SINS.

The Bible CLEARLY states:
1) A Christian is SAVED already (Rom 8:24, Eph 2:5-8)
2) A Christian is BEING saved (2 Cor 2:15, Phil 2:12)
3) A Christian is YET TO BE saved in the future (Rom 5:9-10)

And the Bible uses various words to describe each of these.

Salvation in the past is called Justification. (saved)
Salvation in the present is called Sanctification. (being saved)
Salvation in the future is called Glorification. (to be saved)

Justification is to be saved from the PENALTY of sin.
Sanctification is to be saved from the POWER of sin.
Glorification is to be saved from the PRESENCE of sin.

In Justification, righteousness is IMPUTED.
...in this, we are declared "sinless" (in standing only)
In Sanctification, righteousness is IMPARTED.
...in this, we are going through the process of becoming sinless (in actual state)
In Glorification, righteousness is IMECCABLE.
...in this, we ARE sinless in standing and in state.
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There is NO argument between true Christians:
ALL people sin. Non-Christians sin. Christians sin.
This is based on 1 John 1:8-10.

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The difference is:
For a Christian, they are Justified (or saved from the penalty of sin) before God.

It is a judiciary term...like in a court case. In Justification, the Judge (God) has DECLARED that the repentant sinner who receives the free gift of eternal salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, even in accordance with the Gospel (which means "Good News"; i.e. John 3:16), is FREE from the PENALTY of sin. That is, they are saved. In standing before God, they are considered "righteous" and "sinless", for God has forgiven them of their sins.

HOWEVER, during the life of a Christian, they undergo the process of sanctification. In this, by the power of the Holy Spirit, which is given to ALL Christians who repent and believe, they gradually overcome sin. Yes, they STILL sin. However, they sin less and less as the Holy Spirit cleans them of all unrighteousness. It is like a cycle in which the person sins, is convicted by the Holy Spirit, repents, and is cleansed more. This "battling of sin" process continues as they overcome it. Some sins are removed instantly (and they don't struggle with it EVER again), while other personal battles can literally take years.

In the end, when they die (or if Jesus Christ comes again), the corrupted body of flesh that Christian have will be done away with once and for all. They will be given a new body that is incorruptible. They will be one with God in heaven, where there will be no sin. There will be no sin because it will be impossible for us to sin. We won't even be tempted to sin. There will be no tears, no sickness, no pain, no evil, etc, etc, etc. in heaven

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So then, that was a mouthful and a LOT to read. But given the fact that you seem to be struggling with the same question (and probably questions) that I had...I wanted to give you a thorough, honest, and Biblical answer.

I hope you at least understand where I am coming from.
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MOST Christians would agree with just about every single word I said above.

Mature, faithful Catholics would agree on much of what I said above, but not all. And the vast majority of Catholics you meet have almost no understanding of ANY of this. They are being taught (or not taught) by teachers who themselves don't know about this stuff (sadly).

Protestants would agree on all or almost all of it (and if not all, it’s because they aren't really acquainted with these biblical terms). MOST Protestants focus a bit too much on the "Justification" part of salvation to the neglect of speaking or even knowing about the rest. They simply have not been taught it adequately in their churches (sadly). But a lot of Protestants you meet will at least be able to articulate what the "Gospel" is and would be able to explain the doctrine of Justification (calling it "salvation") and back it up with scriptures in the book of Romans.
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But make NO mistake about it:
To be "saved" is to be saved from SIN.

God is holy and perfect.
He commands that we be holy and perfect JUST as HE is holy and perfect! (Matthew 5:48)
Not one bit less! (James 2:10!)
If we fail to do what whe should, it is sin! (James 4:17!)
If we are not perfect and holy, we are guilty of "sin".
To be sinless is IMPOSSIBLE for man. (Matt 19:26)
ALL people are guilty of sin. (Romans 3:23)
Sin not only includes acts, but also the condition of the heart.
Sure, adultery is sin. But so is lusting, which is "adultery or fornication of the heart"! (Matthew 5:28)
The just punishment for sin is death and hell. (Romans 6:23)
SO, it would seem that since ALL sin and the results of sin is death and hell...that ALL people would go to hell!!!

BUT...
Another drumroll, please....

God provided a "way" out of this mess. And ANYBODY can freely accept His "Way". It is a free gift, offered to all. It is the "good news" or "gospel", which is:
Although we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and deserve to go to hell, God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to the world to die a perfect sacrifice on our behalf. He died on the cross FOR our sins, if we would but believe in Him for our salvation. He died and came back from the dead to prove that He had power over death and hell and the ability to grant salvation to anybody who calls upon His name. And ALL who call upon His name shall be saved. WHOEVER believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life!

So, you personally can turn to God, ask for forgiveness, and tell Him that you are willing to accept His free gift of eternal salvation! You can tell Him that you accept and believe that Jesus Christ came to die for your personal sins, and in doing so, become a Christian. This is the "act" of Justification in which you are "saved" from your sins!

And ANYBODY reading these words can personally turn to God in prayer, asking for mercy and forgiveness for all their sins, and tell God you accept His offer to be saved from your sins - even right this very second! Ask Him for the Holy Spirit (i.e. that "Jesus would come into your heart", as some say), and He will fill you with Himself. That's right. God the Holy Spirit will then be IN you. And so, you will be "born of Spirit"; that is, "born again"...and start the mysterious road of sanctification and life as a true Christian. You will be forgiven of your sins and empowered to fight the fight of faith in the ongoing process of sanctification in which you battle sin and the urges within. And you get the added "perks", if you will, of having the presence of God in your life. The "fruit" of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (self-control)! These are the very things you seek in life. For ALL people seek love, joy, and peace. And NOW, you are "privy" to the secret of life...even abundant life...yes, even eternal life!

See John 3:1-21, Romans 5:8, Romans 10:9-13, 1 Timothy 1:15-17, Luke 11:13, Galatians 5:22

...and since God accepts no other sacrifice other than Jesus Christ, this means that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way we can be "saved" from our sins. Rejecting God's mercy, grace and love...by rejecting His free gift that ALL can receive - means that a person remains in their sin. That is, their sin remains unforgiven. So that when they die and face the Judge, there will be hell to pay...literally. And in the meantime, without God in your life, you will forever be in search of true love, joy, and peace. You may think you experience these in life, but they will be but fleeting emotions, illusions and delusions, that will also end in emptiness, hopelessness, and death.

See John 14:6, John 10:9, and Acts 4:12
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So, by reading these words...I have passed this message (the Gospel) to all who read these words fulfilling my duty (2 Corinthians 5:16-21) and my personal passion of love.

By reading, you have been invited...and you have been warned. You either accept...or you reject this message from God.

Even now, you DO make a choice.

...For if you are not FOR Jesus Christ, you are AGAINST Him. (Matthew 12:30)

May these words haunt you until you choose wisely before it is too late.

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LORD GOD ALMIGHTY: Grant all who read these words the strength and faith to trust in Your Glorious Son Jesus Christ, for their personal salvation - and, more importantly, for Your GLORY!!!

AMEN!
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Grace and peace in Christ be with you all in abundance!

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Answer 2

Romans 5:8-9 - "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."

There will be a 7 year period called the Tribulation period, during which time God will pour out His wrath on the earth and those who are living on the earth. All those who have truly been "born again" will not be here to witness those horrific events, they will have been "raptured" or "taken away" by Jesus until this period of wrath is over.

We are not "saved" by anything we have done or will do, we are only saved by what Jesus Christ did. The blood Jesus shed for us is applied to our heart, or life, the moment we believe. And, there's enough power in that blood to continually cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

A person should have no desire to "willfully" sin after they've accepted Christ. Will we make mistakes? yes. Will we miss opportunities He gives us to witness to others He puts in our path? yes. Will we sometimes be more concerned about what we want, rather than what He wants? yes. But when we appear before Him at the Judgment Seat of Christ, which is for all believers, everything we have done or not done since the moment we believed will be manifested, and we will gain or lose rewards based on the life we've lived for Him.

Answer 3

Marvelous the explanation given by Yachadho. I'd like to emphasize that since the first man and woman sinned, we are all born with sin and separate from God. So, like he explained, God requires a perfect sacrifice and he demands blood. So since someone has to die, Jesus TOOK OUR PLACE! because He so loved us. When you are able to grasp all this that Yachadho has explained and realize that you (me) are the one who should have suffered the consequences, and He went and took our place!, I can't think of anyone that can love us that much. Because people love you when you do what they want or you behave nice, but Jesus loved us when we were still sinners, when no one wanted to be with us, when many condemned what we were doing, HE LOVED US! and this love made Him want to take our place! That is something awesome right there! It makes me want to dance until I drop!!!!

Answer 4

The bible says that the wages (results) of sin is death. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus. Jesus death on the cross gives fallen mankind the opportunity to escape the results of sin.

edit: A Christian who accepts God's gift is still in a fallen state in which sin comes natural. It is through a daily relationship with God through study of the bible and prayer that God changes our hearts and gives us the power to overcome sin in our lives. This is the struggle that all Christians face on a daily basis.

Answer 5

We believe we're living in a fallen creation tainted by sin. Everyone is born into it and affected by it, no one has a choice. Our sin nature keeps us separate from God and if we're separated from him in life, we'll be separated from him in eternity also - in hell, which is a place where God is totally absent. God is a righteous judge and he HAS to judge our sin, otherwise he would be corrupt. But he also loves us. So he came as Jesus Christ to stand in our place and take our rightful punishment on himself so that we can go free. All we have to do is accept that and turn away from our sin nature, back to God, and we will be free. We will be saved from having to pay the price ourselves. Jesus also defeated death (because he is God) and now those who are saved by him can live forever with him, close to him, as it was originally meant to be.
Hope that helps.

Answer 6

They believe that through him ther are forgiven their sins and in believing in him their sins can and will be forgiven that they shall live for eternity (their souls)... those engaged in sin that do not see "the light" are burned in the abyss they call hell... which as i recollect is also somethng like the gnashing of teeth.... then again i could be wrong but that's my best answer... I am not christian.

Answer 7

When you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior you are saved from death (eternal damnation) Hell basically. You have been bought with Jesus's blood that was shed while he was on the cross. Because you ultimately live to die and be with Christ forever when you do not accept Him you are eternally separated from Him and paradise which is Heaven.

Answer 8

We are saved from Hell. Because of His sacrifice we can be forgiven and thus not go to Hell. All Christians sin. Anyone who says they don't is lying. But because of Jesus we can repent and be forgiven.

Answer 9

A law saying Christians can be beheaded would never pass. Do you have any idea the percentages of Christians there are in the US? The backlash would be so bad that the grandchildren of the people who cosponsored the bill would be attacked.

Answer 10

I only write to tell you - PLEASE READ YACHADHO'S ANSWER.

It is VERY long, so most people will ignore it. But it is The Answer to every question ever asked on R & S.

There is nothing to add to it, and nothing to be taken away from it.

READ IT.

Answer 11

Jesus Christ says "It is appointed once for every man to die, then to judgment."

Almighty God created hell and The Lake Of Fire for Satan and his demons, but after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden and were tossed out of paradise, Almighty God made sure that mankind, even though all have sinned, that they had a choice to spend eternity in Heaven with Him and in order for that to happen, Almighty God sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who walked and lived among mankind on Earth and remained a virgin, sinless, and perfect in Almighty God's eyes so that Jesus WOULD be an acceptable "blood sacrifice" for ALL the sins of mankind.

Jesus Christ WILLINGLY gave Himself up to Calvary to be crucified as a perfect pure sacrifice for you and me. Jesus Christ's willing sacrifice provided me and you with an escape from eternity in The Lake Of Fire with Satan. For those who ask Jesus Christ into their heart and life, ask Him to forgive them for all their sins, and then accept/admit that Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of Almighty God, that Jesus gave His life on Calvary for all our sins, that He died, that He was buried, and that on the third day Jesus Christ rose from the grave to new life and is now in Heaven reigning with Almighty God and that as Jesus promises, He will one day soon return for us and take us to Heaven to be with Him for eternity. When we do this, from that VERY moment, our names are forever written in the Lamb's Book Of Life and should we die before Jesus Christ returns, we instantly go to be with Him in Heaven.

As far as Christians sinning, Jesus Christ lived among mankind, He knew what we faced day after day, He was ALWAYS quick to forgive ANYONE who sincerely and earnestly ask Him for forgiveness of sin. As Christians we are to STRIVE hourly and daily NOT to sin, but when we do, as all Christians, being human and mortal will occasionally do, we are to instantly ask Jesus' forgiveness and to make restitution when/if possible for our sin and try not to repeat our sin.

But as a child of God, He will not let unrepented and constant sin go on indefinitely. As a loving parent He will chastise us for those sins.