What is soul salvation?

The great thought in salvation is that the soul is rescued from destruction and recovered for God. In Mark 16 it is put in contrast with judgment, and in 1 Corinthians with perishing, and with the latter it is usually contrasted in Scripture. In James 4:12 we have “One Lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy;” and in Luke 19:10 we have the Son of Man come to seek and to “save that which was lost;” and in 2 Corinthians 2:15 we have the apostles a sweet savour of Christ to God, “in them that are saved and in them that perish;” and in all these places the word in the original for “destroy,” “lost,” “perish” is the same. The thought therefore connected with salvation in Scripture is easily laid hold of. The idea being that the soul is rescued from destruction, and recovered to God in new relationships, life, power, and blessing. I have said it is complete in a moral and spiritual sense in quickening with Christ, and in association with Him beyond Jordan. When we have come to this in the apprehension of our souls we can put on the helmet of salvation, we are in the enjoyment of an accomplished salvation, and have it as armour for our heads in battle; and to this Peter would have the babes grow up.

T. The emancipation of the soul from the whole power of evil, by which it was held in bondage in the fallen condition in which man is by nature. In this also is included deliverance from the consequences of our sins, and being reconciled to God. Peter speaks of it in contrast with the temporal deliverance accorded to Israel when they were brought out of the grasp of the oppressor to God in the wilderness. This was a salvation which was open and manifest to the nations of the earth (Josh. 2:10); but the salvation of the soul of which the Apostle speaks, and which is accorded to us, is not yet revealed. Outwardly there is no alteration in our circumstances. As far as the human eye can see there has been no deliverance effected for us. Our salvation has not yet come to light. It still awaits its manifestation. When Christ appears we shall appear with Him in glory, and then shall our salvation be revealed.

E. But do you mean to say that when one believes the gospel his soul is saved? I think Scripture speaks of us as being saved by hope (Rom. 8:24). Surely this means that our salvation is yet future.

Verse 9, “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” Take the salvation that was accorded to Israel at the Red Sea; they were to stand still on the Egyptian side of those impassable waters and see the salvation of God. Moses lifted up his rod and the sea was divided, and Israel marched over to the other side on dry land. That was a salvation the whole earth heard of. Rahab told the spies that went into the land not long after that the report of them had reached the land of Canaan, and they were all trembling because of the God of Israel; that salvation was a public thing; it was a salvation that men could take account of; they could see it with their eyes, and it was a temporal salvation. But here is a salvation that Peter calls “The salvation of the soul.” That is not a temporal salvation at all, but a spiritual one. A man might be in the worst of circumstances imaginable, but the word of God reaches him, the Gospel comes to him and he believes it, and by it he is saved, but the next day his circumstances are just the same as they were the day before; they are not altered. The salvation does not refer to his circumstances at all. There is no outward evidence that there is any intervention by God at all; his circumstances are just as wretched as they were before, but the man is different, his soul is emancipated. His soul is delivered from sin and lust and self dependence, and for ever saved from the power of the devil and the power of death. He is delivered from evil, from spiritual forces, from spiritual evils, but he is not delivered from his hard circumstances yet; his salvation is not revealed; it has not come to light; it is not manifested—it will be by-and-by. When he enters the inheritance in heaven he will be like Christ. But, you say, Scriptures say we hope to be saved, “In hope of salvation.” Yes, that is perfectly true, but that has reference to our bodies; they are to be changed, but our souls are saved. We are emancipated from the powers of evil that hold this world, and the people of this world in bonds. If a man who professes to be a believer is dominated by the lust and pride of this world, then whatever he may say about himself he is not delivered; he is still under the power of sin.

Now, for us there is soul salvation, as Cornelius and his company that day learnt. Life the centurion had already possessed - eternal life really. But salvation he had never known. Deliverance from the just consequences of his sins he had not previously enjoyed. So we see in him illustrated the salvation of the soul, of which Peter writes (1 Peter 1:9), before receiving full salvation of the person, which will come at a future day (1 Peter 1:5). Soul salvation, then, apart from final deliverance in the last time, is New Testament doctrine, and in its fulness and freeness is Christian doctrine. Prophets of old, we are taught by the same Apostle, learnt that they ministered really to coming generations, writing of that which was not in their own day to be enjoyed. At Pentecost the time had come for the salvation of the soul to be known by the believer. We say at Pentecost, because during the Lord's life on earth that blessing, like forgiveness of sins, was not preached nor generally dispensed. A woman in the Pharisee's house learnt that her sins were forgiven (Luke 7:48). To the house of the publican Zacchæus salvation came when the Lord entered under his roof (Luke 19:9). But these were exceptional cases, like drops of rain the prelude to a great shower. Now, however, consequent on the death and resurrection of the Lord, a great change was introduced: forgiveness of sins was to be preached and by consequence soul salvation was to be enjoyed. So the Apostle Paul could write of this dispensation as "the day of salvation" (2 Cor.6:2). Then, addressing the company in the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia, he declared, "To you is the word of this salvation sent" (Acts 13:26). And when the Jews at Rome refused the truth, he told them, "This salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and they will hear it" (28:28). It was present salvation; so he could say to Timothy, "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling" (2 Tim.1:9). To the Ephesians he could write, "By grace are ye saved through faith," for they had received the Gospel of their salvation (Eph.2:8). Deliverance from the consequences of their sins they enjoyed, and knew it. So was it with Cornelius when he had heard the words whereby he could be saved. So is it with every one who rests on the Divine testimony of forgiveness of sins through the precious blood of Christ. To have spiritual life is one thing, to be saved is another. Not that God will stop short of perfecting His work in the soul; but He desires that the individual should believe the message of forgiveness and know that he is saved.

It will be seen from what we have said, that soul-salvation in these scriptures necessarily includes the judicial salvation, which is ours when we believe; when we receive the forgiveness of sins, and are justified on the principle of faith; but in its positive aspect it embraces the present enjoyment in the soul, of that salvation, which, in its fullness, is ready to be revealed. It is ours in this world now, because it is “in Christ.”

There is far more in the expression “the saving of the soul” than safety from the eternal judgment of God, which must surely be meted out to the wicked. Salvation in that sense of it is a very great matter indeed; and it belongs to all those who have believed in our Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot thank God too much for His great mercy to us in this respect; for truly, we richly deserved His judgment.

What is the salvation of soul? It is in contrast with the deliverance that Israel had, I think. Soul-salvation is contrasted with temporal deliverance. Then comes an orderly statement in verses 10, 11. The prophets which were before speak both of the sufferings of Christ, and of glories which were to follow; but we now stand in between the sufferings finished and the glories not yet come.

There is often a haze in the minds of many persons on this very important matter, and I could not think that people are at all clear as to the gospel, and certainly not as compared with the Old Testament dealings with God, who do not see this difference. If one thinks merely of getting to heaven — of being delivered from judgment — well, it is evident that all the Old Testament saints were; but that is not what is called the salvation of the soul. Receiving the end of your faith," says Peter, "the salvation of your souls." That means the soul consciously brought, as a present thing, to know that all is clear between God and it — the soul knowing that sins are gone and righteousness come. Was that the case in Old Testament times? Certainly not. All that you could say of an Old Testament soul was that he was hoping for righteousness: he was waiting for this salvation. But the salvation was not come, and the righteousness was only near, for it was not yet arrived. That was all that Isaiah could say, even in the prophetic spirit.

She must be exposed in the presence of God. She must see that she is nothing but a poor corrupt sinner, and that only mercy can save her from the judgment to which her guilty life had made her liable. It is in the light that we get salvation; and in one sense salvation is by the light, for salvation lies in the knowledge of God. The word to Christ is: “I have set Thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that Thou shouldst be for salvation unto the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:47). Salvation, as known at this present time, is the emancipation of the soul from every evil thing that held it in bondage, so that the subjects of salvation may be at liberty to serve the living God. “Let My son go, that he may serve Me,” was the word of God that was sent by Moses to Pharaoh. This salvation was realized by the people at the Red Sea, when the proud host of Egypt was overwhelmed by the waters, and Israel was brought to God in the wilderness. But that salvation was temporal and governmental, and was a deliverance of flesh and blood from the domination of flesh and blood, whereas our salvation is the salvation of the soul, and is spiritual and eternal. The work of the cross is, I need scarcely say, the foundation of all God’s dealings with us in grace, but practical salvation lies in the knowledge of God; and therefore is Christ both light and salvation.

"There is no need of dwelling now on 'salvation' as employed in the Old Testament, and in some parts of the New, as the Gospels and Revelation particularly, where it is used for deliverance in power or even providence and present things. I confine myself to its doctrinal import, and the full Christian sense of the word; and I maintain that salvation signifies that deliverance for the believer which is the full consequence of the mighty work of Christ, apprehended not, of course, necessarily according to all its depth in God's eyes, but at any rate applied to the soul in the power of the Holy Ghost. It is not the awakening of conscience, however real; neither is it the attraction of heart by the grace of Christ, however blessed this may be. We ought therefore to bear in mind, that if a soul be not brought into conscious deliverance as the fruit of Divine teaching, and founded on the work of Christ, we are very far from presenting the gospel as the apostle Paul glories in it, and delights that it should go forth. 'I am not ashamed,'" etc.