[Pastor Ralph]

Q2. "Saved" has become Christian jargon. How can you "translate" this word into modern speech so people can understand what it really means and why they need it?

[Robkevbri]

The Lexical Aids to the New Testament says that "saved" (5485) is the present experience of God's power to deliver us from the bondage of sin.

"And thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save (deliver, set free) His people from their sins."

[pickledilly]

I have come to understand the concept of being "saved" as the restoration of the shattered relationship between humanity and God. That restoration transforms a life, replaces its sinful nature with holiness, and rescues a sinner from eternal separation from God. There's nothing a human being could ever do to restore his/her shattered holiness. Admitting your sinfulness, agreeing with God's plan to save you from the consequences, receiving the living Spirit of God, and accepting the holy covering of Christ (all accomplished in the belief and profession of Christ as your very own Savior) is the only solution to the problem of this broken relationship.

I once saw this vividly demonstrated by teacher Louie Giglio. He had a huge mirror onstage. Standing some distance away, he held an apple in his hand and was just talking in general. Suddenly he turned toward that mirror and threw the apple very hard. It startled everybody as the mirror broke all over the place and little pieces went flying everywhere. The analogy was that the impact of sin shattered our ability to reflect the glory of God and look like Him in His holiness, thus shattering the relationship between us. Just as with a broken mirror, no amount of effort could ever pick up every single shard, sliver, and fragment to accurately put them back in place so that the mirror looked exactly like it did before without distortion.

The natural human life is spent trying to find all those tiny misplaced pieces, to fill in the gaps where parts are missing, and/or to make sense of the altered view of reality. But restoration simply can't ever be accomplished through such works. The only remedy is a totally new mirror. What Jesus did for us was to totally replace our forever-fractured "mirror" with His own reflection of the glory of God through His Spirit. Because His complete, undistorted purity now dwells in us, our shattered relationship has been restored. With a restored relationship to God, we no longer have to fear the spiritual death sentence of eternity apart from Him. We don't deserve such rescue! With distorted vision and blindness, we didn't even realize we needed it. We weren't looking for it. But God was looking for us, longing for us, loving us; and I think that is the grace of being saved.

[Diane44]

Q2. "Saved" has become Christian jargon. How can you "translate" this word into modern speech so people can understand what it really means and why they need it?

I would tell them that we ALL do wrong, and therefore we need to be saved. I would present the ABC of being saved. It's a difficult thing to get across. There are so many that say they believe in Christ, but continue to openly follow the kingdom of the air. I loved the message today. It was so true how Satan has slipped into our culture and our thoughts. Weather it be gambling, cheating, gossiping. Look at what the TV teaches us about life and how we should live it. Sometimes it can become overwhelming and confusing.

[Jezemeg]

When people first meet me and realise I'm a Christian, often the first response I get from them is, '... others have tried to save me, I'm not interested'. To this I reply, ' You know, that's fortunate because the only way I could perhaps save you is if you should need CPR, and because I am now severely disabled, the success of me performing that procedure on you would depend largely on the willingness of my body cooperating with what my brain is telling it to do'.

By this interjection of humor (or my form of humor anyway) I usually manage to show them the difference between what I am able to do and what God is offering them. Their ears are usually opened to the fact that God is not just going to restart their lives from where they ended, but He is offering them the chance of having it completely changed, renewed, their past mistakes completely forgotten and given another chance to make things right. Not only that, but when they do make further mistakes, they have the opportunity then too, to repent, to ask forgiveness and to move forward, without having the need of carrying the burden of past mistakes with them.

[Stan]

Q2. "Saved" has become Christian jargon. How can you "translate" this word into modern speech so people can understand what it really means and why they need it?

What does it mean to be Saved? Rescued is a good word because we must be removed from the threat we that is apon us and since we can't do it our selves we are dependent on some one to rescue us. There is not one but God that can rescue you from the eternal death and living torment that awaits us if we refuse to accept Jesus as Lord. We are living a lie if we believe otherwise. Our spirit comes from God and must return to Him and only He can give us newness of life or cast us into outer darkness and the chose is ours. Onlly we can descide to allow God to rescue us from ourselves we can't do it alone. Jesus is our redeemer, our saviour. We are given a choice death or life, We must choose who we will serve. As for me I chose to serve the Lord, Praise be to God.

[Helenmm]

I like these question about taking the jargon out ofChristian-speak. They are a great and worthwhile challenge.
When I think of saved I think of the pack of lies that satan has us believing, because that was Adam's problem - he believed satan. Unbelief is the one sin God can't get around because there's no way He can get the co-operation of someone who simply doesn't believe He is!

Saved has so much to do with truth that it has become a real thing with me to proclaim the truth. To be saved is to know the truth, for the truth will set you free. To be saved is to be in touch with reality - the reality of absolute truth as compared with the lies that community and family would have us believe. A birthright was lost when Adam gave in to satan. To be saved is to have that birthright returned, that heritage with the Kingdom of Heaven (as against hell, fire and brimstone). To be saved is to be truly human in the original sense of the word. To be saved is to be taken out of ignorance and its consequent stupidity, and learn truth and wisdom. To be saved is to revert to friendship with God, to know whom you can trust, and trusting God's word, His ways, His instructions, to love and be loved in the spirit. In short, to be saved to receive again the spirit of the living God and to be absolutely in love with Him, and to have all the advantages of that, such as every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. To be saved is to see like the eagle sees, from the largesse of the skies, rather than from the ground like the hens and chickens, and to have a much greater understanding and vision of the world, to have the mind of Christ and see things from God's point of view. It's like looking at the company form the owner's viewpoint rather than from the client's. Or it's like being adopted from the orphanage into a wonderful, wise and loving family whose love for you seems to increase by the minute.

[Sgt_Z_Squad]

Q2a.) "Saved" has become Christian jargon. How can you "translate" this word into modern speech so people can understand what it really means and why they need it?

Q2a.) I like the word picture of "rescued." I recognized my need for a Savior and if I was to stand before God without Him; I was condemned. I have been "plucked" out from drowning in the lake of my sins.

[Commissioned]

Q2. "Saved" has become Christian jargon. How can you "translate" this word into modern speech so people can understand what it really means and why they need it?

In modern vernacular to be saved means to be 'set free, liberate, emancipate, rescue,' those words that tell the hearer that they are no longer bound to the slavery of sin; now they can walk in freedom - enter a new walk.

[charisbarak]

People aren't really interested in knowing they're "saved" or "rescued," unless they are hit deeply with the truth about "what" they're saved "from" and "to". They have to know their "lost" condition & the Holy Spirit can do a work in them to prepare them to see their need for God. We are all sinners (not one of us is good) & we all qualify for the atoning work of Jesus Christ on our behalf--ending up living with Jesus forever & ever!

[Lisa Rupert]

Q2. "Saved" has become Christian jargon. How can you "translate" this word into modern speech so people can understand what it really means and why they need it?
I am drowning in the ocean (sin), sharks (satan) are circling around me. Miraculously the coast guard (Jesus) shows up on the scene and rescues (saves) me.

[RonS]

Saved I don/t think the term saved is not modern. It is what has happened to the message in our churches that is the problem. 200 years ago 80% of the messages were about hell or heaven. During that time people knew what they were saved from (hell) and what they were saved into (heaven). Today with messages all being about love and prosperity, people are not afraid of going to hell.
I just took notice that there was little use of the word helll in the posts.
If you read Sinners in the hand of a argry God by Jonathan Edwards you will see what I am talking about

[JustJeff]

More than just jargon, saved has become somewhat of a copout for Christians to sin. Once saved, always saved seems to take this great salvation for granted. Saved is only a step of faith, soon forgotten when just that one step is taken. Yes, Jesus does deliver us from our sins but in order to keep from sinning we need the Holy Spirit, the spiritual rebirth to teach us new ways, His ways so that we do not intentionally sin again. Saved has great significance when we acknowledge that He has saved us from our sin, not in our sin.

[haar]

Translating the word "saved" may be better understood when we appreciate the danger we were saved from. Before accepting the Lord Jesus we were:


[*]dead and lost all sensitivity to God
[*]followed the corrupt ways of this world
[*]were followers of satan
[*]gratifying our selfish desires and engaged in sinful lust
[*]as a result of these, we were subject of God's judgement with death as the penalty

But God so loved us so much that out of share favour, sent His only son to RESCUE us from the penalty of our sin. In place of death we have been made children of the most High God, exalted and elavated above all demonic and human authorities and powers in the heavenly realms with Christ.

In short, to be saved means to be rescued from etenal death by the the Lord Jesus.


It is important that people understand that the word "save" means to "rescue" from danger (death) because the latter has lost its significance in the minds of people

[masika]

Saved means to rescue or deliver from danger or harm.
We have all gone gone a stray from God's path ,and we are heading to great danger if we do not go back to God's way.
We tried all we could to reach to that perfection of God by giving sacrifice of animals and keeping the Law given by God to Moses , but that could not make us perfect. God had mercy on us that is why He send , Jesus Christ to die for us , and gave us that free salvation by having faith in Jesus Christ.

[johnd]

Q2. "Saved" has become Christian jargon. How can you "translate" this word into modern speech so people can understand what it really means and why they need it?

I feel I was saved when I gave my life to Christ and became a Christian. My salvation and faith
are a great gift from God.

Your brother in Christ,
John.

[Blessed Me]

Q2. "Saved" has become Christian jargon. How can you "translate" this word into modern speech so people can understand what it really means and why they need it?

I would say the word is "REVIVED" us.

Why and what does it mean?

All mankind is spiritually dead, and worse yet, enemies of God. We had drowned in a bed of miry clay. As we were sinking deeper, and deeper, we tried to climb out - how aweful it was when we realized there was no way for us to climb out, there was nothing we could do!!

BUT, God's love for us, His creation, was so strong that that He was determined to "REVIVE" us, He was determined we sit with Him in the heavenlies. Inside of the spiritually dead is a spark of "FAITH" that God put there! There is a way for mankind to be "REVIVED" there is hope for the dead. God sent a current of love, joy, and life ever lasting to earth in the form of the Son, Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

How do we recieve this current that would "REVIVE" this soul?
It was that day I realized that death has come to my soul, it was that day I realized there was nothing I could do, it was that day I came to understand - it is by this channel of "FAITH" that the current of the Living God could flow through and "REVIVE" my soul that was dead. Come flow through me, "REVIVE" me, that is what my soul cried out, "REVIVE ME" Thank you Father for the Life living in me!

[kiqstart]

Q2. "Saved" has become Christian jargon. How can you "translate" this word into modern speech so people can understand what it really means and why they need it?

I like to use a couple of different words, sometimes the person may respond to rescued or delivered it really depends on the circumstance. If they were rescued from a car wreck they may understand it better. If they were delivered from an addiction delivered would be a better word for me to use to explain to them.

[BJB123]

"Saved" means we are rescued. It means we have come to know the Lord Jesus as our Savior. We will go to Heaven and not hell. To be delivered means that we can be delivered from sin(s) (such as drugs and alcohol, stealing or telling lies). To me, to be saved (rescued) is one thing. To be delivered is another. We need to be saved, delivered and sactified.

I agree with another student, we need more teaching/preaching in our churches on the difference between Heaven and hell. AND, people need to be taught the PLAN OF SALVATION. We do not need to take BEING SAVED lightly. People need to know exactly where they are going if they are not saved (rescued from the Devil). People need to know about daily repentance - to know to ask God to forgive them when they do sin. We all sin. We just need to repent. We need to get off the feel good messages we hear in the pulpits of our churches. We need to get off prosperity messages and onto Hell Fire and Damnation messages. I can assure you that the Holy Spirit will bring you to your knees. You will come to know the Lord Jesus as your Savior. People need to hear the TRUTH and know that Jesus died on the cross and shed HIS precious blood for us. Jesus died for our sins. That's it folks.