To What are We Being Saved

Well it happened just like I predicted in my first blog article. In that article I said "If history is any predictor of the future, I will likely drop this blog by the wayside after a short time." Well, I managed to get four weeks into it before it seemed to drop.

However, let me state here that I have not actually dropped the intent to continue. I have simply had other priorities that required my attention. What has happened historically is that once two or three months had gone by without a post I became afraid of the opinion of my readers and I let that fear prevent me from posting. This article is my way of thumbing my nose at my fear (and possibly admitting that I don't have any readers to fear) and continuing on with my original intent.

So, without further ado, here is the main content of this article.

To What are We Being Saved

When we think of being saved, we often think of it as going to heaven. This is because there are two sides to any form of salvation. The rescue side; that from which we are being saved and the delivery side; that to which we are being saved.  The delivery aspect of salvation is as important, or possibly more important than the rescue side. In the midst of our distress we seem only to think of rescue. We breath a sigh of relief when we learn we are being rescued from tragedy. “We are saved!” we exclaim. However, it doesn’t take long for us to ask the natural next question. “Now What?” To what have we been delivered? 

Explaining the Question

To what have we been saved? When I have spoken on this topic I have found people to be unsure of what I mean by this question. So let me try to be explicit here. By "to what" I mean "what can I expect." Into what condition have we been delivered? Into what circumstance have we been delivered? We have the old saying that demonstrates the relevance of this question. “Out of the frying pan into the fire.” 

The scope of this question not only includes the purpose God had in providing salvation, but also what has changed as a result of being saved. Not only does it include "what should I do now that I am saved", but also "what does being saved do to me."

To what have we been saved? Let’s explore some of the typical answers to this question.

No Answer

I did a google search for “what is the gospel of salvation” and found several credible sites. These provide quite typical western, evangelical answers to that question. They are very representative of my experience in the Christian world.

One thing that I found very interesting is that these sites did not address the question of “to what are we being saved.” In my experience we (those presenting the Gospel of salvation) have left people to figure it out on their own. This is a major deficiency because it allows people to form whatever expectations their inference allows. People will evaluate their salvation experience based on these expectations. Two of the four types of soil Jesus referenced in his parable of the sower in Matthew 13 were people who obviously had false expectations of salvation.

Billy Graham’s site did address part of the question. That article asked and answered, “To what purpose are we saved.” His site even has a section entitled “Saved - Now What” but it addressed what actions one should now take as a result of being saved. They didn’t really address the question of “What can I expect now that I am saved.”

One site (carm.org) gave an indirect answer to our question in the section “Count the cost”, in which the author explained that “if you become a Christian, God will take it very seriously. He will work in your heart and in your life to change you and make you more like Him.”

Another site, Bibleunderstanding.org provided a common answer to the question of “what is the gospel of Salvation.” They very clearly articulated from what are we being saved in their section “why do we need salvation.” Then they provided an answer to how one can become saved, but they never address the question of to what are we saved.

Although many books, articles and sermons may not explicitly state an answer to our question, they imply an answer. These answers are so common, you can likely easily state them.

Heaven

The most prominent answer is of course “Heaven.” You have been saved from hell, to go to Heaven. When “witnessing”, we often lead with this by asking the question ourselves. “If you died today, where would you go?” Then we talk about why everyone who is not saved is going to hell when they die and we attempt to explain how they can know they will go to heaven instead.

Clear Conscience

Of course, if the issue that Salvation is meant to address is sin, or more specifically sin guilt, then the natural expectation of the removal of that sin guilt would be a clear conscience. What is meant by that is actually an experience of the removal of guilt feelings.

Just Forgiven

Why don’t we discuss the “to” of salvation? It is because of the misconception of the issue Jesus came to address. In his book So Great Salvation: What it Means to Believe in Jesus Christ, Charles Ryrie very clearly articulates this common misconception:

Some of the confusion regarding the meaning of the Gospel today  may arise from failing to clarify the issue involved. The issue is, How can my sins be forgiven? What is it that bars me from heaven? What is it that prevents my having eternal life? The answer is sin. The second issue is, How can my sins be forgiven? I need some way to resolve that sin problem. And God declares that the death of His Son provides forgiveness of my sin.

“Christ died for our sins” -- that’s as plain as it could possibly be. Sinners need a Savior. Christ is that Savior and the only valid one. Through faith I receive Him and His forgiveness. Then the sin problem is solved, and I can be fully assured of going to heaven.”

It is exactly this view that is concisely expressed in the famous evangelical bumper sticker: “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.” This bumper sticker represents the part of our culture that implies so much, so loudly that we can’t help inferring it into everything we read in the Bible. To demonstrate that inference, let me ask you, how would you feel if I told you that the issue involved in the Gospel has little to do with sin, especially sin guilt, which is what Ryrie actually means here. 

How do you feel about that statement? Do you wonder what issue it does address? Do you wonder how I could possibly support that claim? Why don’t we look at the words of Ryrie and ask how he supports his claim. He doesn’t support it, and that is because he assumes you agree. This is the inference of culture in which we find ourselves.

At this point you may be wondering where I am going with this. That is exactly what I want you to do. It may seem foolish, or at least silly to speak against a certain teaching without offering an alternative. In fact, one of my most cherished critics wondered if I wasn’t just setting up a straw man. According to a google search, a “straw man” is a “sham argument set up to be defeated.” (Wikipedia says “an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument which was not advanced by that opponent.”) That is why I gave very specific references with an actual quote.

There is a method for my madness, ill conceived though it may be. I am purposely challenging your inferences to create a tension with them. I want you to be aware of them. If I simply give you my assertions, articulate my main point and then provide some support for my point, I fear you will only hear what you have always heard when people use those words. I’m telling you, “this horse don’t look so good.” I want you to try to ride it for a while and find out for yourself what I mean.

An Assignment

Rather than support my claim, let me give you an assignment to check it out. Use a concordance, or an electronic Bible search and find everywhere the word “Gospel” is used. Then ask these questions when you read the passage in which it is used:

1. What is the good news to which the passage refers? 
2. What makes the news good?
3. Who is proclaiming the good news?
4. Is it their good news or are they simply delivering someone else’s good news?
5. Does this good news apply to me? 
1. If so, in what way? 
2. Do I have to do anything to realize, or experience this good news?

The first two questions should help us clarify the issue involved with the Gospel. Now be careful you don't simply infer your interpretation into this exercise. Make sure the text actually says what you think it says.

In my next post, we will pick up the topic of the Gospel.

Thanks for reading.

Tory

PS - Would you like to listen to the audio from this message? Here is a link.