Bible Matters 488:  Shall Be Saved

God’s promise is eternal life!

Titus 1:2 – In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

1 John 2:25 – And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

God’s promise is made available for those that do the will of God.

Hebrews 10:36 – For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

When you recognize that God is Real (See Bible Matters 441) you ask yourself, “How can I obtain everlasting life?”

The message that the prophets brought to the earth was simple.  Which such a promise, the religious leaders found a way to make selling God and Jesus into a lucrative business model.  For 1600 years, the Bible was published in Latin and Greek.  Acts of religion and fees for worship ruled the people that participated in these church services.  Ignorance of bible doctrine written in a foreign language made it easy for religious leaders to sell acts of Religion.  Getting a divorce approved by the Catholic Church for a lucrative fee is reminiscent of such practices in the 16^th century.  The Greek New Testament bible was translated into English by William Tyndale in 1534, so that the common man could read and understand the bible.  This translation led to the Cloverdale translation (1539) and the Geneva Bible published in 1557.

The understanding of eternal life, everlasting life and you might receive the promise are clear as presented by the witnesses.   Not so clear is the meaning of saved.  48 verses in the Old Testament include the word saved.  In all 48 verses, the author is referring to be saved from distress, enemy or hardship.

Numbers 31:15 – And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?

Only one verse in the Old Testament contains the words, “everlasting life.“  The term saved is not contained in that verse.   Daniel states that many will sleep in the earth and then be awaken.  Some to everlasting life and some to everlasting contempt.

Daniel 12:2 – And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Only once is the word saved and everlasting salvation used in a verse.  In this one verse, it is not clear that Isiah is referring to everlasting life in heaven   Remember.   This is Old Testament salvation. Enoch, Abraham, Moses and Elias are known to dwell with God in heaven. 

Isaiah 45:16-18 – They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.  But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.  For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.

Matthew 17:1-3 – And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart and was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.  And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

Going into the New Testament, it appears that the word ‘Saved” in scripture did not refer to being saved from eternal damnation or the act of obtaining everlasting life.  In the New Testament, the majority of time the word “saved” is used in a verse refers to being saved from harm, distress, enemy or hardship, exactly how it was used in the Old Testament.

1 Timothy 2:15 – Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

56 times the word saved is used in the New Testament.  Jesus performed many miracles on earth.   His miracles brought people back to life in the flesh, raised people from the dead, healed the sick, restored people’s vision, hearing and ability to walk. It is clear in these verses that saved is being referred to as saved from hardship, distress or physical death.

Matthew 27:42 – He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

Mark 15:31 – Like wise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.

Luke 23:35 – And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.

Luke 1:71 – That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

Luke 7:50 – And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

Luke 18:42 – And Jesus said unto him, receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.

Jude 1:5 – I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

Acts 27:20,31 – And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.  Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.

People became interested in understanding in going beyond religious acts and truly understanding God’s word in the interest of answering the question, “How can I be saved?”  Fifteen verses in the New Testament written by five witnesses contain the phrase “shall be saved.”

Matthew 10:22 – And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endures to the end shall be saved.

Matthew 24:13 – But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Mark 13:13 – And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Definition of Shall – Expressing a future tense.  Expressing a strong assertion of intention. 

In these 15 verses, it appears that shall be saved aligns with a future state of abiding forever by doing the will of God. 

Paul and John referred to doing the will of God to receive the promise, of not passing away. 

Hebrews 10:36 – For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

1 John 2:17 – And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides forever.

God anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost and he did the will of God.

Acts 10:37-38 – That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Your walk begins by doing the will of God.  You recognize that only God can change your life by serving him.  Serving him by living his gospel of Love.  God’s message is clear.   If you love him, then keep his commandments. God will be with you!

To God be the glory in all you do, Amen.