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Salvation
By:George
Date: Saturday, 28 January 2006, 7:42 am
In Response To: Sure, but who knows who (David D)

According to Strong's, both the OT and the NT definitions of salvation include the idea of rescue, protection, and provision -- even physical healing -- in THIS life, and preservation or restoration of life (resurrection) in the next.

There's not much in the OT about a spiritual afterlife. Like now, there seems to have been a range of beliefs on the subject. But the most common belief among Jews, even today, is in a resurrection to PHYSICAL life at the last judgment, for those who will be counted worthy.

This same idea carries forward in the NT, but now physical renewal is based on FAITH IN JESUS. This is what Jesus is referring to in His conversation with Nicodemus (Jn. 3); what the disciples are asking about (Mk. 10:26), and what concerned the Philippian jailer (Ac. 16:30,31).

At least in some ways, salvation/resurrection is accessible now. We see it in people in the gospels who, by faith, are "saved" from hemhorraging (Lk. 7:50), blindness (Lk. 18:42); in the case of Lazarus, even death (Jn. 11:23-27).

I'm not negating the spiritual side of salvation. But sometimes we talk ONLY of the spiritual component, and forget the very real physical implications.

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