I remember asking someone, “Are you saved?” They responded by asking, “Saved from what?”

This is an excellent question for us to discuss here. The Bible tells us, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and it goes on to say, “For the wages of sin is death.” The Bible also says, “The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20). 

So, the answer to the question, “Saved from what?” is saved from the penalty of sin. Sin is the reason we need to be saved. The Bible speaks of different aspects of salvation. The person who trusts in the Lord is saved from the penalty of sin and can enjoy deliverance from the power of sin, and will one day be delivered from the presence of sin. Salvation has a past, present, and future aspect to it.

When we are saved (justified), we are saved from the penalty of sin. This is a past act. The Lord Jesus Christ paid for our sin on the cross in the past, and when a person trusts Him for salvation, that person is forgiven and justified before God. This is a once-for-all transaction. A person who is justified has been saved. Let’s look at several verses which might help us.

“It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God”  Romans 4:23-5:2

This work of salvation is nothing you or I do to receive. It is all by the grace (undeserved favor) of God. Because we are sinners by nature and by practice, we are seen as spiritually dead before a holy God.

“Who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others”  Ephesians 2:1-3

The Bible goes on to say,

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:4-7

This work of salvation is all on God’s side. You and I bring nothing to the table, for we are spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins. Romans puts it this way,

“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Romans 5:6-10

Notice we were without strength, ungodly, sinners, and enemies of God. But God loved us and demonstrated that love by giving His unique Son, His only begotten Son.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18

This brings us to another question, “How can I be saved?” A similar question was asked in Acts 16:30, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” I would encourage you to read the entire story found in Acts 16:25-40. This man realized the power of God was at work and asked the most important question any of us could ask, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” The answer given to him was, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved!” Because salvation came to his house that day, the entire household could be saved as they witnessed a changed life. 

You and I can do nothing but confess our sin, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, who died to set us free from them, and accept that free gift of salvation. Scripture tells us,

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast” Ephesians 2:8–9

The Bible also says,

“if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10

This is what the Philippian Jailer did in Acts 16 and what everyone who desires to be saved from the penalty of sin must do.

We must realize that we are a sinner and repent from our sin. To repent means that I must turn to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, and in doing so, I turn away from my sin. I turn to One who is greater than my sin, who loved me and gave Himself for me. There must be repentance, “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31

How long does this salvation last? 

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12-13

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” John 5:24

In Romans 8, twice we read that nothing can separate us from the love of God or the love of Christ! In other words, once God has done the work in us, who can undo that work?

The last question that needs to be answered is, “Are you saved?” Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If your answer is no, repent from your sins by confessing them before a holy God, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from above the dead, and you shall be saved!