SALVATION
Thus, the biblical message is clearly distinguished from a mere religious morality that gives man advice on good conduct or that advocates the improvement of man through his own efforts.
It is also an immense distance from a cold deism, in which the distant divinity remains indifferent to the fate of its creatures.
In the Old Testament:
In the OT the Lord reveals himself as the Savior God. This is, among a multitude of others, his most endearing title in relation to us, the most beautiful of them (2 Sam. 22:2-3).
He is the redeemer, the only Savior of Israel (Is. 25:9; 41:14; 43:3, 11; 49:26), and of all eternity (Is. 63:8, 16). Already in Egypt he began to manifest himself in this character, saying: “I am JEHOVAH… I will deliver you” (Ex. 6: 6).
He delivered his people from the furnace of affliction, from the exterminating angel, from the threatening Red Sea, and Moses exclaims, in the face of all this: “Blessed are you, O Israel.
Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, a shield of your help, and a sword of your triumph? (Deut. 33:29). It is not the thousand means that God employs, but it is God himself, his presence, his victorious intervention, that saves (1 Sam. 14:6; 17:47).
David exclaims, “My God… the mighty one of my salvation” (2 Sam. 22:3). Who is it that can resist, when God arises to save all the meek of the earth? (cf. Ps. 76:8-10).
He saves his children, often rebellious, because of his name, to manifest his power (Ps. 106:8). The prophet can say to Zion: “The Lord is in the midst of God, he is mighty, he will save” (Zeph. 3:17), and the psalmist does not fail to praise God’s salvation (Ps. 3:8; 18:46; 37:39; 40:17; 42:5; 62:7; 71:15; 98:2-3, etc.).
This salvation also includes all liberations, both earthly and spiritual. The Lord saves from distress and from the snares of the wicked (Ps. 37:39; 59:2);
He saves by granting forgiveness of sins, answering prayer, imparting joy and peace (Ps. 79:9; 51:12; 60:6; 18:27; 34:6, 18).
However, the Savior God, in the Old Covenant, is not yet fully manifested; he is even hidden (Is. 45:15).
The Lord responds to suffering humanity who asks him to break the heavens and come down to his aid: “Be strong… behold, your God is coming… God himself will come, and he will save you” (Is. 35: 4 ).
In the New Testament:
Christ is already presented from the outset as the Savior, and not only as a Teacher, friend or role model. The angel says to Joseph: “You will call his name Jesus (Jehovah saves), for He will save his people from their sins.”
Zechariah blessed the Lord for having raised up “a mighty Savior” (Luke 1:69). There is no salvation in anyone else (Acts 4:12). Jesus is the author of our salvation (Heb. 2:10; 5:9).
God sent his Son as the savior of the world (1 Jn. 4:14), not to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved by Him (Jn. 3:17; 12:47).
The Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost (Lk. 19:10); He came, not to lose the souls of men, but to save them (Lk. 9:56).
True joy is that achieved by those who can exclaim: “We know that truly this is the Savior of the world, the Christ” (Luke 4:42).
In the New Covenant, the term salvation applies almost exclusively to redemption and eternal salvation. Salvation comes from the Jews (John 4:22).
The Gospel is the word of salvation preached everywhere (Acts 13:26; 16:17; 28:28; Eph. 1:13); It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16).
God’s grace is the source of salvation (Tit. 2:11), which is in Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 2:10). God calls us to receive salvation (1 Thes. 5:9; 2 Thes. 2:13).
He is confessing with the mouth that we come to salvation (Rom. 10:10); we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12).
We are kept by the power of God through faith to obtain salvation (1 Pet. 1:5, 9). Meanwhile, we wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:20), as the time approaches when the salvation achieved at Calvary will be fully revealed (Rom. 13:11; Rev. 12:10).
He who despises so great a salvation will not escape (Heb. 2:3). To the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, empire and power, now and forever (Jude 25).