Part of a series on Christian theology

Foundations Christianity · Holy Bible Jesus Christ · Holy Trinity History of Christianity · Timeline Ecumenical Councils · Creeds Great Schism · Reformation It has been suggested that Christian theological controversy be merged into this article or section. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1993x1300, 432 KB) A Bible handwritten in Latin, on display in Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire, England. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament. ... The Gutenberg Bible owned by the United States Library of Congress The Bible (Hebrew: תנ״ך tanakh, Greek: η Βίβλος hÄ“ biblos) (sometimes The Holy Bible, The Book, Work of God, The Word, The Good Book or Scripture), from Greek (τα) βίβλια, (ta) biblia, (the) books, is the name used by Jews and Christians for their... Jesus (8-2 BC/BCE — 29-36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... This page is about the title. ... For other uses, see Trinity (disambiguation). ... This article outlines the history of Christianity and provides links to relevant topics. ... Timeline of Christianity (1 Anno Domini-Present) The purpose of this chronology is to give a detailed account of Christianity from 1 AD to the present. ... In Christianity, an ecumenical council or general council is a meeting of the bishops of the whole church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice. ... For other uses, see Creed (disambiguation). ... Great Schism redirects here. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement in the 16th century to reform the Catholic Church in Western Europe. ...

Major Traditions Eastern Christianity Eastern Orthodoxy · Oriental Orthodoxy Syriac Christianity It has been suggested that Eastern Church be merged into this article or section. ... ... The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only the first three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the Council of Ephesus — and rejected the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon. ... Syriac Christianity is a culturally and linguistically distinctive community within Eastern Christianity. ... Western Christianity Roman Catholicism · Protestantism Thomism · Anabaptism · Lutheranism Anglicanism · Calvinism · Arminianism Baptist · Evangelicalism · Restorationism Liberalism · Fundamentalism Pentecostalism · Ecumenism Western Christianity refers to Catholicism, Protestantism, and Anglicanism (which is also usually included in the Protestant category). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Catholicism. ... Protestantism is one of three primary branches of Christianity. ... Thomism is the philosophical school that followed in the legacy of St. ... Anabaptists (re-baptizers, from Greek ana and baptizo; in German: Wiedertäufer) are Christians of the so-called radical wing of the Protestant Reformation. ... Mr wadawits smells Luthers seal Lutheranism is a Christian tradition based upon the main theological insights of Martin Luther. ... The term Anglican (from Anglia, the Latin name for England) describes the people, institutions, and churches that adhere the religious traditions developed by the established Church of England. ... Calvinism is a system of Christian theology and an approach to Christian life and thought, articulated by John Calvin, a Protestant Reformer in the 16th century, and subsequently by successors, associates, followers and admirers of Calvin and his interpretation of Scripture. ... // For the Armenian nationality, see Armenia or the Armenian language. ... A Baptist is a member of a Baptist church. ... The word evangelicalism usually refers to a tendency in diverse branches of conservative Christianity, typified by an emphasis on evangelism, a personal experience of conversion, biblically-oriented faith, and a belief in the relevance of Christian faith to cultural issues. ... This article deals with the restoration of Christian authenticity in worship and living; see Supersessionism for a discussion regarding Restorationism in Dispensational Christian views towards Jewish people in the End times. ... For Christian theological modernism in the Roman Catholic Church, see Modernism (Roman Catholicism). ... This article concerns the self-labeled Fundamentalist Movement in Protestant Christianity. ... The Pentecostal movement within Protestant Christianity places special emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as shown in the Biblical account of the Day of Pentecost. ... The word ecumenism (also oecumenism, Å“cumenism) (IPA: ) is derived from the Greek oikoumene, which means the inhabited world. In its broadest meaning ecumenism is the religious initiative towards world-wide unity. ...

Important Figures Twelve Apostles · Apostle Paul Church Fathers · Athanasius · Augustine Palamas · Aquinas Luther · Calvin · Wesley The Twelve Apostles (in Koine Greek απόστολος apostolos [1], someone sent forth/sent out, an emissary) were probably Galilean Jewish men (10 names are Aramaic, 4 names are Greek) chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth by Jesus of Nazareth to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles... Saul, also known as Paul, Paulus, and Saint Paul the Apostle, (AD 3 – 67) is widely considered to be central to the early development and spread of Christianity, particularly westward from Judea. ... The (Early) Church Fathers or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church, particularly those of the first five centuries of Christian history. ... Athanasius of Alexandria (also spelled Athanasios) (c. ... Aurelius Augustinus, Augustine of Hippo, or Saint Augustine (November 13, 354 – August 28, 430) was one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity. ... Gregory Palamas (1296 - 1359) was a monk of Mount Athos in Greece, and later became Archbishop of Thessalonica. ... Saint Thomas Aquinas [Thomas of Aquin, or Aquino] (c. ... Luther at age 46 (Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1529) The Luther seal Ancient wax seal, with the inscription D: M. Luther found in Rhone River, Germany Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk, [1] priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer, whose teachings inspired the Reformation... John Calvin (July 10, 1509 – May 27, 1564) was an important French Christian theologian during the Protestant Reformation and is the namesake of the system of Christian theology called Calvinism. ... John Wesley (June 17, 1703–March 2, 1791) was an 18th-century Anglican clergyman and Christian theologian who was an early leader in the Methodist movement. ...

Key Points Fall of Man · Divine Law · Divine Grace Salvation · Justification · Sanctification Theosis · The Church · The Future The Fall of Man refers to the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and the consequences of the expulsion, as told in the biblical book of Genesis. ... Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh, but not Old Testament, because it does not recognize the concept of a New Testament. ... Divine grace is believed by Christians to be the sovereign favor of God exercised in the bestowment of blessings upon those who do not merit them. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Sanctification or in its verb form, sanctify, literally means to set apart for special use or purpose, that is to make holy or sacred (compare Latin sanctus holy). Therefore sanctification refers to the state or process of being set apart, i. ... In Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic theology, theosis, meaning divinization (or deification or, to become god), is the call to man to become holy and seek union with God, beginning in this life and later consummated in the resurrection. ... Ecclesiology is a branch of Christian theology that deals with the doctrines pertaining to the Church itself as a community or organic entity, and with the understanding of what the church is: its role in salvation, its origin, its relationship to the historical Christ, its discipline, its destiny (see Eschatology... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This box: view • talk • edit

For other uses, see Salvation (disambiguation).

Salvation refers to deliverance from an undesirable state or condition. Now in theology, the study of salvation is called soteriology and is a vitally important concept in several religions. Christianity regards salvation as deliverance from the bondage of sin and from condemnation, resulting in eternal life with God. Salvation can refer to: Salvation, deliverance from an undesirable state or condition Salvation Army, Protestant evangelical Christian denomination This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Theology is reasoned discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, word or reason). It can also refer to the study of other religious topics. ... Soter, sometimes known as the Pope of Charity, was pope from 166 to 174 (the Vatican cites 162 or 168 to 170 or 177). ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament. ... SiN is a computer game developed by Ritual Entertainment and published by Activision in late 1998. ... Michelangelos depiction of God in the painting Creation of the Sun and Moon in the Sistine Chapel Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, one of the manifestations of the ultimate reality or God in Hinduism This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

Christian views of salvation

Salvation is arguably one of the most important Christian spiritual concepts, perhaps second only to the divinity of Jesus Christ. Jesus (8-2 BC/BCE — 29-36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... This page is about the title. ...

Among many Christians, the primary goal of religion is to attain salvation. Others maintain that the primary goal of Christians is to do the will of God, or that the two are equivalent. In many traditions, attaining salvation is synonymous with going to heaven after death, while most also emphasize that salvation represents a changed life while on Earth as well. Many elements of Christian theology explain why salvation is needed and how to attain it. Heaven is an afterlife concept found in many religions or spiritual philosophies. ... The afterlife (or life after death) is a generic term referring to a continuation of existence, typically spiritual and experiential, beyond this world, or after death. ...

The idea of salvation rests upon there being some sort of unsaved sinful state from which the individual (or mankind) is to be redeemed by a Savior. This Savior is Jesus Christ.

Catholicism

For the Catholic Church, salvation is not just a negative deliverance from sin (original sin and actual sin) and its effects: God saves us not just from something, but for something. God’s action is a positive liberation that raises human beings to a supernatural status, to eternal life on a higher plane than earthly life, to union in a single body with Christ, one of the three Persons of the Trinity, to the dignity of not only being called but actually being adopted children of God, to seeing God "as he is" (1 John 3:2) in communion of life and love with the Trinity and all the saints (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1023-1025, 1243, 1265-1270, 2009). It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Catholicism. ... Michelangelos painting of the original sin (the Fall) According to Christian tradition, Original sin describes the condition of sinfulness (lack of holiness) into which human beings are hereditarily born. ... (Redirected from 1 John) The First Epistle of John is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Catholic Church, first published in French in 1992 by the authority of Pope John Paul II.[1] Subsequently, in 1997, a Latin text was issued which is now the official text of reference...

These blessings man could never merit. Indeed, in the strict sense, man can never merit anything from God: the creature has received everything, including abilities and potentialities, from the Creator. The possibility of meriting anything in the eyes of God derives entirely from a free gift or grace of God. Salvation or justification can by no means be merited, but once God has justified us, we can then, through the influence of the Holy Spirit and love, merit graces useful for sanctification, for growth in grace and love and for reaching the eternal life for which God destines us. We can merit even material benefits, such as health and friendship (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2006-2011).

Christians receive even in this life, as it were in incipient or seed form, a pledge and a hope of what is to come, the blessings of salvation that are to be given fully and definitively in the afterlife. Thus the Catholic Church sees salvation, even for the individual, as something for which we can use both past, present and future tenses:

• Our salvation has already been achieved in principle and in hope, since Christ died for all on the cross and since we accepted Christ by faith and baptism: "When the kindness of God our Saviour, and his love towards man, appeared, not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:4-7).
• The process of salvation continues in God's work in those who accept the Gospel. St Paul uses the present tense in this regard: "To us who are being saved, (the word of the cross) is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18). The text in Greek has present-tense σῳζομένοις (being saved) in this passage, not perfect-tense σεσῳσμένοις (having been saved) or past-tense (aorist-tense) σῳθεῖσιν (saved); ambiguous translations such as "us which are saved" (KJV) cover up this fact.
• Only on completion of our earthly life will God's saving work in us reach its final stage. There is no magic formula or emotional experience that will definitively prevent us, as creatures whom God has endowed with free will, from ever rejecting God’s offer of salvation. Even the great Apostle Paul envisaged this eventuality for himself, considering it possible that he himself, after having preached to others, might be rejected (1 Corinthians 9:27). But there is hope: "Since, therefore, we are now justified by (Christ's) blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God" (Romans 5:9).

Protestantism

In Western Christianity the doctrine of salvation, or soteriology, involves topics such as atonement, reconciliation, grace, justification, God's sovereignty, and the free will of human beings. Various understandings on each may be found in Catholicism and Protestantism. Especially within Protestantism, this may be seen in the differences between the theologies of Calvinism and Arminianism as well as mediating versions of the two. Protestantism is one of three primary branches of Christianity. ... The Atonement is the central doctrine of Christianity: everything else derives from it. ... Divine grace is believed by Christians to be the sovereign favor of God exercised in the bestowment of blessings upon those who do not merit them. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Free will is the philosophical doctrine that holds that our choices are ultimately up to ourselves. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Catholicism. ... Protestantism is one of three primary branches of Christianity. ... Calvinism is a system of Christian theology and an approach to Christian life and thought, articulated by John Calvin, a Protestant Reformer in the 16th century, and subsequently by successors, associates, followers and admirers of Calvin and his interpretation of Scripture. ... // For the Armenian nationality, see Armenia or the Armenian language. ...

Among evangelical Christians, salvation means that all have sinned and are justly under God's condemnation. Atonement or reconciliation with God is possible for anyone, but only through Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life and died as a perfect sacrifice in place of the death deserved by all humanity, by (1) confession of sin and (2) faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. The consequence of salvation is that the sinner's sins are forgiven and he/she is born again as a new person, a Christian, a believer, a child of God, and is sealed with the Holy Spirit. Evangelical Christians believe that not every individual obtains salvation (forgiveness) because not all will trust in Jesus Christ. Those who do not are subject to divine condemnation in Hell, a chief aspect of which is separation from God. The word evangelicalism usually refers to a tendency in diverse branches of conservative Christianity, typified by an emphasis on evangelism, a personal experience of conversion, biblically-oriented faith, and a belief in the relevance of Christian faith to cultural issues. ... Born again is a term used originally and mainly in Christianity, where it is associated with salvation, conversion and spiritual rebirth. ... In various religions, most notably Trinitarian Christianity, the Holy Spirit (also called the Holy Ghost; in Hebrew רוח הקודש Ruah haqodesh) is the third Person of the Holy Trinity. ... Rembrandt - The Return of the Prodigal Son Forgiveness is the action or process of ceasing to feel resentment or anger against another person for an offence or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution. ... Medieval illustration of Hell in the Hortus deliciarum manuscript of Herrad of Landsberg (about 1180) Hell, according to many religious beliefs, is a place or a state of pain and suffering. ...

A key Protestant doctrine is that salvation is not something that a person can attain on their own, but rather that it is completely the gift of God, which people receive and accept. Conservative Restoration Movement churches (e.g. Churches of Christ) not only recognize the conditions of hearing the gospel and responding with faith as part of the salvation process, but also repentance, baptism and continued obedience. (Acts 2:38-39, 2 Corinthians 7:10, Hebrews 6:4-6) For information related to Dispensational Christian views regarding Jewish people in the End times see Restorationism The Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement (or simply, Restoration Movement) is a religious reform movement born in the early 1800s in the United States. ... Alternate meanings: see Church of Christ (disambiguation). ...

A third point of view, universal salvation, has existed throughout the history of Christianity and became popular in the United States with the rise of rationalism and modernism in the late 1800's. This point of view states that all people, regardless of creed or belief, will eventually be saved and go to heaven, and is the central theme of Universalism and Unitarianism. Those who criticize universal salvation as heretical claim that universalism is unbiblical and implies that all religions are equally valid, and that there are paths to salvation other than through the grace of Christ. This is an accurate description of some universalist beliefs, but not all. Other forms of Christian universalism do hold that Christianity is the only completely true religion, and that salvation comes only through Christ. They simply believe that Christ's death and resurrection redeemed all people, regardless of their beliefs. Religious pluralists, however, sometimes criticize this view as being patronizing toward non-Christians. In comparative religion, a universalist religion is one that holds itself true for all people; it thus allows all to join, regardless of ethnicity. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Universality (philosophy). ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Unitarian Christianity Historic Unitarianism believed in the oneness of God as opposed to traditional Christian belief in the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). ... Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the Catholic or Orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

Evangelical Christians

Evangelical Christians believe all have sinned and atonement or reconciliation with God is possible for anyone through Jesus Christ firstly by confession of sin and secondly by acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior. Baptism, which symbolizes the forgiveness of sins, is not considered by most evangelicals as necessary for being "born again". It is a sign of that new birth, and of having become a new person, Christian, a believer, a child of God, and the sealing by the Holy Spirit. Baptism is by immersion and is a one-time ordinance that follows salvation. Some who do not understand this ideology may abuse this privilege by thinking that if sin is forgiven, the process of salvation can be repeated over and over again. In practice it does not work that way. The term evangelical has several distinct meanings: In its original sense, it means belonging or related to the Gospel (Greek: euangelion - good news) of the New Testament. ... In various religions, most notably Trinitarian Christianity, the Holy Spirit (also called the Holy Ghost; in Hebrew רוח הקודש Ruah haqodesh) is the third Person of the Holy Trinity. ...

Believers typically would not consider themselves and their lifestyle as being religious or ceremonial. Salvation reconciled humanity to God; therefore, a personal relationship connects that individual to God.

Christian Science and Salvation

The Christian Science textbook defines "Salvation" as follows: "Life, Truth and Love understood and demonstrated as supreme over all; sin, sickness, and death destroyed." (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures p. 593, by Mary Baker Eddy.) Christian Science is a teaching regarding the efficacy of spiritual healing according to the interpretation of the Bible by Mary Baker Eddy, in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. ... Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, written by Mary Baker Eddy, is the foundation of the Christian Science movement. ... Mary Baker Eddy Mary Morse Baker, better known as Mary Baker Eddy (July 16, 1821 - December 3, 1910) founded the Church of Christ, Scientist in 1879. ...

Eastern Christianity

Eastern Christianity was much less influenced by Augustine, and even less so by either Calvin or Arminius. Consequently, it doesn't just have different answers, but asks different questions; it generally views salvation in less legalistic terms (grace, punishment, and so on) and in more medical terms (sickness, healing etc.), and with less exacting precision. Instead, it views salvation more along the lines of theosis, a seeking to become holy or draw closer to God, a concept that has been developed over the centuries by many different Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Christians. It also stresses the teaching about forgiveness in Matthew 6:14-15: "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." It has been suggested that Eastern Church be merged into this article or section. ... Aurelius Augustinus, Augustine of Hippo, or Saint Augustine (November 13, 354 – August 28, 430) was one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity. ... John Calvin (July 10, 1509 – May 27, 1564) was an important French Christian theologian during the Protestant Reformation and is the namesake of the system of Christian theology called Calvinism. ... The Hermannsdenkmal Arminius (16 BC-AD 21), in Germany also frequently called Hermann der Cherusker, was a war chief of the Germanic tribe of the Cherusci. ... In Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic theology, theosis, meaning divinization (or deification or, to become god), is the call to man to become holy and seek union with God, beginning in this life and later consummated in the resurrection. ... Pentecost is considered in Eastern Orthodoxy to be the birth of the Church. ... The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only the first three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the Council of Ephesus — and rejected the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon. ... The term Eastern Rites may refer to the liturgical rites used by many ancient Christian Churches of Eastern Europe and the Middle East that, while being part of the Roman Catholic Church, are distinct from the Latin Rite or Western Church. ...

The Longer Catechism of the Orthodox, Catholic, Eastern Church, known also as The Catechism of St. Philaret [1] includes the questions and answers: "155. To save men from what did (the Son of God) come upon earth? From sin, the curse, and death." "208. How does the death of Jesus Christ upon the cross deliver us from sin, the curse, and death? That we may the more readily believe this mystery, the Word of God teaches us of it, so much as we may be able to receive, by the comparison of Jesus Christ with Adam. Adam is by nature the head of all mankind, which is one with him by natural descent from him. Jesus Christ, in whom the Godhead is united with manhood, graciously made himself the new almighty Head of men, whom he unites to himself through faith. Therefore as in Adam we had fallen under sin, the curse, and death, so we are delivered from sin, the curse, and death in Jesus Christ. His voluntary suffering and death on the cross for us, being of infinite value and merit, as the death of one sinless, God and man in one person, is both a perfect satisfaction to the justice of God, which had condemned us for sin to death, and a fund of infinite merit, which has obtained him the right, without prejudice to justice, to give us sinners pardon of our sins, and grace to have victory over sin and death."

New Testament passages

Christians look principally to the New Testament for their understanding of salvation. Many of these texts are found in the Epistle to the Romans, largely because that Epistle contains the most comprehensive theological statement by Saint Paul of Tarsus. Because of this, some Protestant Christian denominations have called these texts the Romans road. John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament. ... John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... The Epistle to the Romans is one of the epistles, or letters, included in the New Testament canon of the Christian Bible. ... Theology is reasoned discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, word or reason). It can also refer to the study of other religious topics. ... Saul, also known as Paul, Paulus, and Saint Paul the Apostle, (AD 3 – 67) is widely considered to be central to the early development and spread of Christianity, particularly westward from Judea. ... Protestantism is one of three primary branches of Christianity. ... A religious denomination, (also simply denomination) is a large, long-established subgroup within a religion that has existed for many years. ...

Some key passages in the New Testament concerning salvation include:

• God's love: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. " (Romans 5:8)

• Sin separates mankind from God. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God"(Romans 3:23) "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Romans 5:12)

• God gives eternal life because Jesus Christ atoned for our sin: "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

• Saved (from sin) by our own forgiveness of others: "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14-15)

• Confession and believing: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." — "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10) "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)

• Saved at Baptism: "Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 1 Peter 3:20-21; "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:" (Romans 6:3-5)

• Saved by God's grace: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

• Saved by Works: "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." (James 2:24) This passage is disputed as the meaning of the word justified. Protestants argue here the word justified is not used as "To make righteous" but to be "shown already righteous". This is meant in the sense that a person's good behaviour proves they have been saved, as God is "sanctifying" them, making them a better person, after having saved them. Catholics do not separate justification from sanctification. The Council of Trent (Catholic), while anathemizing any who would say that man can, before God, be justified by the works he does by human strength alone, without the divine grace merited by Jesus Christ (canon 1 of its Decree on justification), declared that the justice granted to Christians is preserved and increased by good works, and accordingly these are more than just the fruit and sign of justification obtained (canon 24).

• Judged by Works: "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works." (Revelations 20:12-13). All Protestants do not agree with this type of interpretation of this verse. Some believe there will be the judgment all unsaved people go through called the "white throne judgment" (Revelation 20:10-15), but for all those who are saved they will appear before the “judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:9-10). In that judgment, believers will get rewards based on what they have done, whether they are good or bad. They do not believe eternal life is a reward that is going to be given out in consequence of works done. Others understand it in the same way as the "Saved by Works" verses, in the sense that those who will not have done good proved they were not saved, because their works did not correspond to their 'saved' status.

• Christ Says...: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 7:21 Some interpret this in the same way as the "Saved by Works" and "Judged by Works" verses: those who claim to be Christians will be proved false by their actions if their good works do not back up their claim to be Christians.

John 3:16 (chapter 3, verse 16 of the Gospel of John) is one of the most widely quoted verses from the Christian Bible. ... SiN is a computer game developed by Ritual Entertainment and published by Activision in late 1998. ... The Atonement is the central doctrine of Christianity: everything else derives from it. ...

Other passages

The book of Ecclesiasticus or Wisdom of Sirach, considered to be Scriptural by most Catholics, places a heavy emphasis in numerous verses on the importance of giving alms to the poor, saying that performing this act can atone for sin and lead to salvation; eg. Sir. 3:30, "Water extinguishes a blazing fire: so almsgiving atones for sin." The Wisdom of Ben Sirach, (or The Wisdom of Joshua Ben Sirach or merely Sirach), called Ecclesiasticus by Christians, is a book written circa 180 BCE in Hebrew. ... The Wisdom of Ben Sira, (or The Wisdom of Yeshua Ben Sira or merely Sirach), called Ecclesiasticus (not to be confused with Ecclesiastes) by Christians, is a book written circa 180–175 BCE. The author, Yeshua ben Sira, was a Jew who had been living in Jerusalem, who may in... Alms Bag taken from some Tapestry in Orleans, Fifteenth Century. ...

Judaism

The Christian concept of salvation is not a Jewish concept, as it implies that people are born condemned (original sin), an idea that Jews reject. Rabbinic Judaism teaches that "Every Jew has a share in the world to come (the afterlife)" (TB Sanhedrin 90a), and also that "the righteous people of other (non-Jewish) nations...", those who follow the elementary morals embodied in the Seven Noahide Laws, "...have a share in the world to come" (Tos. Sanhedrin 13, TB ibid. 105a). Although a person who sins may be punished either in this world or the next, punishment in the next world is in most cases limited in duration to 12 months (Mish. Eiduyot 2:10). Complete loss of a share in the afterlife (or, alternatively, eternal punishment; TB Rosh Hashanah 17a) is imposed for only a small number of very serious sins, most of which have to do with heresy. Even then a person can regain his share in the world to come through repentance and atonement. Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people with around 15 million followers as of 2006 [1]. It is one of the first recorded monotheistic faiths and one of the oldest religious traditions still practiced today. ... Michelangelos painting of the original sin (the Fall) According to Christian tradition, Original sin describes the condition of sinfulness (lack of holiness) into which human beings are hereditarily born. ... Rabbinic Judaism (or in Hebrew Yahadut Rabanit - יהדות רבנית) is a Jewish denomination characterized by reliance on the written Torah as well as the Oral Law (the Mishnah, Talmuds and subsequent rabbinic decisions) as halakha (Legally Binding, i. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Seven Noahide Laws (Hebrew: שבע מצוות בני × ×— Å baˤ miÅŸwōt bnÄ“-Noḥ), also called the Brit Noah (Covenant of Noah) or Law of the First Covenant, are the Jewish mitzvot (commandments) and halakhot (laws) that are morally binding on non-Jews. ... Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the Catholic or Orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ... Repentance in Judaism known as Teshuva (literally means Returning in Hebrew), is the way of atoning for sin in Judaism. ... In Judaism, atonement is the process of causing a transgression to be forgiven or pardoned. ...

Some Jewish denominations disagree with Rabbinic Judaism regarding the nature or importance of the afterlife. For them, the "world to come" may not be a significant focus of religious thought, since they emphasize that Judaism concentrates on the here and now. Many Jewish denominations exist within the religion of Judaism; the Jewish community is divided into a number of religious denominations as well as branches or movements. ...

Islam

The Quran talks of people who are lost however the concept "lost" is contrasted with successful and not saved. The concept is consider of the form of "none or some" and not "none or all." i.e. one may be successful to some extent, which can be less than that of other persons, or he is lost. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

For a Muslim, the lifestyle should be in a way that is pleasing to God so that one may receive his grace and enter the Garden. Islam teaches that man is responsible for all his deeds in the Judgment day and everybody reaps the fruit of his own deeds (Quran 2:141). It is believed that at puberty an account of each person's deeds is opened to record the person’s deeds. This account will be used in God’s Judgment to determine the person’s fate. Islam teaches that our good deeds can place us in a position to receive God's mercy and that without God's mercy no one's good deed can put him in Paradise. Muhammad advised:

"Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and rejoice, for no one's good deeds will put him in Paradise." The Companions asked, "Not even you O Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "Not even me unless Allah bestows His pardon and mercy on me." (1)

However, In addition to Faith, There are three more criteria that the individual must satisfy in order to be not in the state of loss. These are good deeds, guiding one another to truth (Dawah) and guiding one another to patience. These are put forth in the following verse of the Qur'an: This article is about the Muslim concept. ... The , (Arabic: recitation, also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and Alcoran, Turkish Kuran), is the central text of Islam. ...

"By the declining day, Lo! man is in a state of loss, Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance." (103:1-3)

The Quran teaches that "the (human) soul is certainly prone to evil, unless the Lord do bestow His Mercy" and that even the prophets do not absolve themselves of blame (Quran 12:53). The Quran teaches that God does not treat men according to what they deserve, but according to what befits him; If God were to punish men according to what they deserve, He would have wiped them all out. (Quran 35:45, 16:61). It is believed that God in his Judgment will be both merciful and just.

Based on the verdict received during the Day of Judgment, each human will spend this stage of life in the Garden or Hell. However, those in Hell are eligible to go to the Garden after being purified by the Hell fire a later time if they "had an atom's worth of faith in them".

The Quran rejects the belief that being a Jew or Christian alone brings salvation arguing that neither Abraham nor Isma'il nor Isaac nor Jacob nor the Tribes were Jews or Christians (Quran 2:140). Instead Quran states that salvation hinges upon the legacy of Abraham and Jacob which was worshiping and bowing to the one True God and not joining other gods with him. (Quran 2:130-141). Good deeds go hand in hand with faith and the Qur'an teaches the necessity of both faith and good works for salvation. According to Quran, people have different ranks in heaven and their good deeds will be rewarded.

Furthermore the Quran states that "Those who believe (in the Qur'an), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians, any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve." (Quran 2:62). This verse suggests that followers of other monotheistic religions indeed are able to achieve a place in heaven if they follow the unadulterated teachings of their sacred texts, perform good deeds and believe in the Day of Judgement.

The Qur'an also suggests a doctrine of divine predestination. (Qur'an 4:49, 24:21, 57:22).

The Muslim doctrine of salvation says that unbelievers (kuffar, literally "one who hides, denies or covers the truth") and sinners will be condemned, but genuine repentance results in Allah's forgiveness and entrance into the Garden upon death. See Sin for further discussion about the concept of sin and atonement in Islam. The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... SiN is a computer game developed by Ritual Entertainment and published by Activision in late 1998. ...

Hinduism

Main article: Moksha

Salvation to the Hindu is the soul's liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth and attainment of the highest spiritual state. It is the ultimate goal of Hinduism, where even hell and heaven are considered temporary. This concept is called Moksha (Sanskrit: मोक्ष, liberation) or Mukti (Sanskrit: मुक्ति, release). Moksha is seen as a final release from one's worldly conception of self, the loosening of the shackle of experiential duality and a re-establishment in one's own fundamental nature, though the nature is seen as ineffable and beyond sensation. The actual state of salvation is seen differently depending on one's beliefs. Hinduism {Sanskrit - HindÅ« Dharma, also known as Sanātana (eternal) Dharma and Vaidika (of the Vedas) Dharma} is the religion based on the Vedas as well as other traditional scriptures and beliefs. ... Moksha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Illustration depicting the transmigration of the soul. ... Rebirth may refer the following spiritual/religious concepts: Reincarnation Buddhist Rebirth The experience of being born again in Christianity Rebirth may also refer to: Rebirth, an album by Pain Rebirth, an album by Jennifer Lopez Rebirth, an album by Gackt Rebirth, an album by Angra ReBirth RB-338, software synthesizer... Medieval illustration of Hell in the Hortus deliciarum manuscript of Herrad of Landsberg (about 1180) Hell, according to many religious beliefs, is a place or a state of pain and suffering. ... Heaven is an afterlife concept found in many religions or spiritual philosophies. ... Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम् ; pronunciation: ) is an Indo-European classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ... Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम् ; pronunciation: ) is an Indo-European classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ...

• In Advaita, a monistic philosophy, which comprises most forms of Shaivism and some forms of Vaishnavism, it is oneness without form or being, something that essentially is without manifestation.

• In dualist Hinduism, as found mostly in different forms of Vaishnavism, it is union or close association with God.

Advaita Vedanta is probably the best known of all Vedanta schools of Hinduism, the others being Dvaita and Vishishtadvaita. ... Monism is the metaphysical position that all is of one essential essence, substance or energy. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Vaishnavism is one of the principal divisions of Hinduism. ... Dvaita, a school of Vedanta (the most widespread Hindu philosophy) founded by Shri Madhvacharya, stresses a strict distinction between God and souls. ... Vaishnavism is one of the principal divisions of Hinduism. ...

Buddhism

The Four Noble Truths outline the essentials of Buddhist soteriology. Suffering (dukkha) is treated as a disease, which can be cured by understanding its causes and by following the Eightfold Path. Like Hinduism, liberation (called Nirvana in Buddhism) is seen as an end not only to suffering, but to the cycle of reincarnation and the end of ignorance. The Eightfold Path includes morality and meditation. The means of achieving liberation are further developed in other Buddhist teachings. They are expressed in very different terms by Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Buddhists. Buddhism is a religion and philosophy focusing on the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni (Siddhārtha Gautama), who probably lived in the 5th century BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five centuries following the Buddhas death, and propagated into Central, Southeast, and East Asia... The Four Noble Truths (Pali, cattari ariya saccani) are taught in Buddhism as the fundamental insight or enlightenment of Sakyamuni Buddha (the historical Buddha), which led to the formulation of the Buddhist philosophy. ... Buddhism is a religion and philosophy focusing on the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni (Siddhārtha Gautama), who probably lived in the 5th century BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five centuries following the Buddhas death, and propagated into Central, Southeast, and East Asia... Dukkha (Pāli; Sanskrit: duḥkha) is a central concept in Buddhism, the word roughly corresponding to a number of terms in English including sorrow, suffering, affliction, pain, anxiety, dissatisfaction, discomfort, anguish, stress, misery, and aversion. ... The Noble Eightfold Path, according to Buddhism and as taught by Gautama Buddha, is the way to the cessation of suffering, the fourth part of the Four Noble Truths. ... This article is about a Buddhist philosophy concept. ... A large statue in Bangalore depicting Shiva meditating Meditation is the practice of focusing the mind, often formalized into a specific routine. ... Theravada (Pali; Sanskrit: Sthaviravada) is one of the eighteen (or twenty) Nikāya schools that formed early in the history of Buddhism. ... Relief image of the bodhisattva Kuan Yin from Mt. ... A mandala used in Vajrayana Buddhist practices. ...

New Church

In the New Church salvation is seen as the process of spiritual rebirth, rather than an instantaneous event. Christ is not seen as an atoning sacrifice to appease an angry Father, but is seen as Jehovah, God Himself, come to subdue the Hells, make His Human Divine, and redeem people's freedom to believe in Him and follow the path of salvation He has laid out. This path is seen in the model of His life on earth. It is still believed that a person is saved by Divine grace, but that one has the choice and must stop doing evil actions in order to receive this grace. Symbol of the Swedenborgian Church Swedenborgianism is the ecclesiastical organization of beliefs developed from the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, and as such, considered a religious movement by many. ... Symbol of the Swedenborgian Church Swedenborgianism is the ecclesiastical organization of beliefs developed from the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, and as such, considered a religious movement by many. ... Divine grace is believed by Christians to be the sovereign favor of God exercised in the bestowment of blessings upon those who do not merit them. ...

"He who would be saved, must confess his sins, and do repentance. To confess sins is to know evils, to see them in oneself, to acknowledge them, to make oneself guilty and condemn oneself on account of them. Done before God, this is to confess sins. To do repentance is to desist from sins after one has thus confessed them and from a humble heart has sought forgiveness, and then to live a new life according to the precepts of charity and faith, He who merely acknowledges generally that he is a sinner, making himself guilty of all evils, without examining himself,--that is without seeing his sins,--makes a confession but not the confession of repentance. Inasmuch as he does not know his evils, he lives as before" (The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine, para. 159-162). To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

See also

• Atonement
• Born Again
• New Birth
• Predestination
• Prevenient Grace
• Sin
• Total Depravity

• Compare: moksha

The Atonement is the central doctrine of Christianity: everything else derives from it. ... Born again is a term used originally and mainly in Christianity, where it is associated with salvation, conversion and spiritual rebirth. ... The New Birth is how John Wesley and Methodism have traditionally referred to the born again experience. ... Predestination is a religious idea, under which the relationship between the beginning of things and the destiny of things is discussed. ... Prevenient Grace is a Christian theological concept embraced primarily by Arminian Christians who are influenced by the theology of John Wesley and who are part of the Methodist movement. ... SiN is a computer game developed by Ritual Entertainment and published by Activision in late 1998. ... Total depravity (also called total inability and total corruption) is a theological doctrine that derives from the Augustinian doctrine of original sin and is advocated in many Protestant confessions of faith and catechisms, including those of Lutheranism,1 Anglicanism and Methodism,2 and especially Calvinism. ... Moksha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

References

1. Reported by Aboo Hurayrah & 'Aa'ishah & collected by al-Bukhaaree (eng. trans. vol.8 p.315 no.474)

External links

• Yeshua / Jesus Good News For ManKind
• True Salvation at TheBoard!, Teens-4-Christ
• Assurance of Salvation? at Catholic Answers, Catholic Apologetics Centre (Catholic Christian)
• Salvation by Faith by John Wesley (Protestant Christian - Methodist/Wesleyan)
• The Scripture Way to Salvation by John Wesley (Protestant Christian - Methodist/Wesleyan)
• God's Plan of Salvation at Bible.org
• Salvation Simple As Can Be
• What is salvation for? (An 'emergent Christian' look at salvation)
• Salvation (Protestant Christian - conservative Calvinist/Reformed)
• Jewish encyclopedia-Salvation