Salvation

• Salvation

  For Christians, salvation means to be saved from sin and the consequences of sin. Salvation means that Christians can enjoy eternal life in heaven with God. Another important terms for Christians is atonement (comes from ‘at-one-ment’) which refers to the idea that the death of Jesus makes it possible for human to be reconciled (brought back into a good relationship) with God
• When Adam and Eve disobeyed God

  Sin and death came into the world and the perfect relationship between God and human beings was broken
• As a further result of this original sin, human nature was damaged beyond repair and all subsequent generations are born sinful</b>
• Sin

  A barrier which separates people from the utter holiness and perfection of God; humans are unable to overcome this barrier by themselves
• Christians believe that only God could save human beings from sin
• How God saved human beings from sin

  1. Through the incarnation

  2. Death

  3. Resurrection of Jesus Christ
• John: '"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."'
• Ransom

  Some Christians see the death of Christ as a ransom paid to free captive humanity from the clutches of the Devil
• Jesus: '"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."'
• Sacrifice for sin

  In Temple times, the Jews sacrificed animals each year at Yom Kippur to ask God for forgiveness. As God incarnate, Jesus' death was worth far more than any other sacrifice and paid the price for human sin.
• Saint Paul: 'We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all'
• Substitute

  God's justice requires that human beings should be punished for their sin, but God's love means that he chose to take the punishment upon himself by being born as a human being and suffering on our behalf. This idea is also known as 'penal substitution'.
• Moral change

  Other Christians believe that the way Jesus brought about atonement was by acting as a moral example to humanity. They believe that through his teachings, the example he set in life and most of all through his death on the cross, Jesus showed God's love for humankind. According to this view, salvation comes from living the Christian life and following the teachings and example of Jesus.