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Image: Weebly Salvation in Christian context is the idea of being saved from sin and obtaining eternal life with God. Christian theologians such as Paul and Augustine looked back to the Adam and Eve narrative in the Old Testament and suggested that the human relationship with God which Adam and Eve originally enjoyed broke down at the Fall. Through sinning by disobeying God and eating of the Fruit mankind "Fell" and all humans share in this disobedience. However, God through his love and mercy constantly cares for his creation, first by giving them laws to obey, sending the prophets to guide them and finally by becoming Incarnate in the form of Jesus, suffering and dying on the cross for the sins of the world. By his death the relationship is restored and a way to heaven is opened up - this is known as Atonement
Many exclusivist Christians believe that humans can only be saved by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and salvation is only available to those who place their faith in him. Hence he is the Saviour. Faith is more than simply belief in the teaching and example of Jesus; it is about placing one’s trust in these things. Most Christians believe, however, that faith cannot come from the believer alone but requires the grace of God. This is defined as a blessing from God which is undeserved. This is offered freely to all people but we exercise free will in either accepting or rejecting it. God wants everyone to come to faith but does not force people to do so as this would interfere with our free-will.
Image: John Hain Salvation is also achieved through worship and love. Worship may include prayer, bible reading, attending services and receiving holy communion – at the Last Supper Jesus instructed his followers to eat bread and drink wine “in remembrance of me”. Christians have long debated the relative importance of “faith” and “works” - it was a large element in the reformation by Martin Luther in the Sixteenth Century.
Christian love takes the form of agape – selfless love. This can be summed up as love of neighbour – “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. It is about loving without counting the cost or expecting anything in return. Jesus said that “greater love has no man than to lay down his life for a friend”. This, after all, is what Jesus did, not just for his friends but for all of sinful humanity.
Christian love takes the form of agape – selfless love. This can be summed up as love of neighbour – “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. It is about loving without counting the cost or expecting anything in return. Jesus said that “greater love has no man than to lay down his life for a friend”. This, after all, is what Jesus did, not just for his friends but for all of sinful humanity.
Image: Geralt These ideas about Salvation do of course raise interesting questions and objections - Why are all humans affected by the “Original Sin” of Adam? This does not make biological or moral sense. Why did God need to be elaborately incarnated and die to restore the relationship? Why bother with the whole of the suffering of human history if God is Omnipotent - he could have just made Adam and Eve not to sin! And many have argued that Salvation is just wishful thinking to help us deal with psychological and social traumas that we face in our daily lives - these religious ideas are just designed to make us feel there is some purpose to our suffering and that it will all be ok in the end.
What do you think? Is the Christian view of Salvation credible? Or wishful thinking?
The Christian view of salvation is nicely summed up in this video animated by Rich Oster and narrated by Fiona Green:
What do you think? Is the Christian view of Salvation credible? Or wishful thinking?
The Christian view of salvation is nicely summed up in this video animated by Rich Oster and narrated by Fiona Green:
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