Ask a Pastor Column

Q:  Does being saved mean the same thing as going to heaven?

A:  In many churches the term “being saved” will typically mean that a person has confessed their sins and received salvation from eternal death through faith in Christ. One result of this is we go to heaven when we die. So I guess we could say that going to heaven is a part of being saved. But let me expand on the subject of salvation in a couple of ways so we can gain more context and clarity on how the term “saved” is used in church and in Scripture.

The first thing I want to explain is that being saved involves far more than just going to heaven. When the Bible talks about salvation, first and foremost it’s talking about being saved from our sinful nature through a spiritual transformation (II Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:9-11; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3-4; etc.). When we make the decision to place our faith in Christ, we are born again (John 3:3-6; I Peter 1:23-25), we transfer our citizenship from earth to heaven (Ephesians 2:19; Colossians 1:13-14), we become priests of God (1 Peter 2:4-5), we become permanently washed from our sins (I Corinthians 6:10-11; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 10:22; Revelation 1:5), we inherit all the riches of Christ (Ephesians 1), and so much more! Salvation is a wonderous and powerful experience and we don’t have to wait for heaven to begin experiencing its benefits!

The other point I want to mention is that the Bible talks about being saved from many more situations than sin and death alone. It’s common for Christians nowadays to talk about being saved solely in the context of eternal salvation. But in the Bible the term is used much more broadly. David celebrates being saved frequently in the Psalms: as a soldier he frequently found himself outnumbered and outmatched in battle, and the salvation he was praying for was personal, physical, and immediately required (Psalm 18:3; 57:title; 143:9; etc.)! The Bible talks about individuals being saved from sickness (II Kings 20:1-11), military defeat (Psalm 20:6-9), drowning in the ocean (Jonah 2:1-6), storms at sea (Psalm 107:23-30), and many other dire situations. I make this point to remind Christians that we can ask God for help with many problems and situations in life. The Bible never promises that God will do exactly as we want Him to, but it does promise that God will work in the lives of those who sincerely cry out to Him for help and bring about His good and perfect work (Psalm 107:33-43; Romans 8:28; etc.).

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