I was just thinking on this Saturday morning, September 17, 2011

I have recently become so annoyed with the way we as saints of God (Christians) use the word “SAVED” so negligently and even so casually.
I was at the funeral of a great saint of God a few weeks ago and so many people from different churches and even from so many different denominations was in attendance. When we were at the wake several folks made statements, “Oh we just hope he was SAVED.”
I was sitting with a group of people who attend different churches and from different denominations yesterday, another friend of mine came up and when he walked away one of the men sitting there asked me, “Is he SAVED?”
Often saints of God (Christians) nonchalantly converse with one another, “Is Mrs. Smiley SAVED?” or “It will not be long that we will see Mrs. Smiley SAVED, especially if she keeps trying so hard.”
We as westernized Christians do not even agree as to what the word “SAVED” means and we judge others by what we think the word “SAVED” means.
It is not that I don’t understand the context of what I am struggling with, but I struggle with tenor it is spoken in. I have been raised as a Christian all of my life and realize that we sometimes need words to describe life after we have repented and began our spiritual changes and of course, I agree with the premise that when we began our spiritual change and are filled with the Spirit of God there is something that is different about us. We are fulfilling the will of God and walking in obedience to His Word, we are being SAVED. But it is just the way Christians use the word SAVED that annoys me so.
Salvation is an experience that starts with faith. We begin the process of salvation by first believing there is a God. We then begin to follow His Word. We repent of our sins, which is a change of mind, directions, actions and habits. We then take on the Name of Jesus Christ in Baptism for the remission of our sins. We are now buried with Him in baptism. We rise from the water, which is the grave of baptism as a new creation in Christ Jesus. We are then filled with the Holy Ghost, which is the comforter, the promise of the Father, the Spirit of Christ Jesus dwelling within us. From that point we begin to walk in newness of our life and we continually strive to fulfill the will of God daily in our lives. I feel that we are being SAVED every day that we live our life full of God’s Holy Spirit and our salvation will not be completed until we get to heaven with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I am trying to figure out what annoys me so much about the word “SAVED”. I am still searching for the answer.
“SAVED” – The way saints of God (Christians) use this word makes it seem like it is a term that makes sense only to church insiders, but to the person who is educated and did not grow up going to church, it sounds like incorrect grammar. “Bob got “SAVED” last night at church.” You would not say of someone who was just rescued from drowning, “They got SAVED,” no they were rescued. Do you realize the same goes for people who are so deep in sin they are rescued from sin, but the process of salvation has now started.

“SAVED” – The way saints of God (Christians) use the word we make it sound like a once and for all, passive event that happens to people. Like no big deal. Like these folks did nothing at all, and once they get it, they are good to go as they are, forever. I realize both of those things are true at their core. We are saved by grace through faith, Jesus paid it all and all to Him we owe. But salvation requires me to accept God’s gift and then I am to give my life to Him and live a life of obedience. It is not something you do once (like becoming a citizen of the USA.) Salvation is a new beginning in our journey of life and through the process we are being “SAVED”. Salvation is where you are giving your life to Him again and again every day and that you live from here on in the process of being saved.

“SAVED” – I realize it is a foundational word in the Christian faith, taken largely from Romans 10:13 KJV: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” But that verse seems to focus on how Jesus responds when we call on His name and not so much on our state of being after Jesus responds to that call. By misusing the word as we saints of God (Christians) do we are actually changing the meaning of the word by saying, “I got “SAVED” last night at church?”

“SAVED” – It seems like we as saints of God (Christians) only want to focus on the fact that people be rescued from hell, but to so many saints of God (Christians) being “SAVED” does not mean living a life of change, obedience, or of relationship with Jesus Christ. Maybe my frustration with the terminology is causing me to filter this a bit through my own understanding and training on what salvation really is. Salvation primarily is an escape plan from the pit of Hell, but obeying His Word and giving our life to the cause and work of Jesus Christ is so much more than just escaping hell. A life with Jesus is about changing the here and now also. It is about working every day to see lives changed and people being filled with the Holy Ghost as we continue to fulfill the will of God in the here and now, today. We as saints of God are not changed and filled with the Holy Ghost so we can just mark time until we get to be with Jesus after we die.

I know that many will disagree with this writing. I just want you all to keep reading the Word of God for yourselves so you can get a good understanding of salvation and this term of being “SAVED.” I know I am not the only Saint of God (Christian) who is annoyed with this word and its usage. Like I said, I am just thinking…