bible salvation

n religion, salvation is the concept that God saves humanity from death. As commonly conceived, He has both the will and the means to realize human salvation, but does so only for those whom He and the angels decide are worthy of everlasting life in heaven. This conditional concept of salvation is dominant, but has a wide variety of theological interpretations ranging from universal salvation (ie. near-absolute salvation) to quite narrow and particular concepts —such that tend to assert a "one true path [to salvation]."

The purpose of salvation is also debated (cf. purpose of life), but in general most theologians agree that God wants human salvation because He regards human beings as his children, and as such loves them. And because human existence on Earth is said to be "[given] to sin" (John 8:34), salvation also has connotations that deal with the liberation^[1] of human beings from sin, and therefore also the inevitable suffering associated with the punishment of sin (ie. "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

The means of salvation are not well defined or understood. The soul, typically described as "the essence of a [human] being," is thought to be transcendent and thus indicates a substantive link between human existence in a mortal human body, and eternal life as an angel. Whether the soul becomes an angel by nature, or requires an action by God is also not clearly defined in either scripture or commentary.

The theological study of salvation is called soteriology: it covers the means by which salvation is effected or achieved, and its results or effects.^[2] Salvation may also be called "deliverance", as in "being delivered" or saved, or "redemption," as in being redeemed or healed [of sin].