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).
Meaning of SALVATION
Both the OT and the NT are centered on the conception of "salvation", based on the fact that man, totally ruined by the fall, and therefore destined for eternal death and perdition, needs to be rescued. and saved through the intervention of a divine Savior.
