If you were to ask a group of Christians, “What does it mean to be saved?” most would answer something like this: “Jesus died for the forgiveness of my sins, so there is a place for me in heaven when I die.” While this answer is not wrong, it is incomplete. Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). What kind of person needs life? Someone who is dead!

Understanding salvation as a life and death issue will help you to see the New Testament in a new light. Our sins did need to be forgiven. Yet, the cross was not an end in itself. It was God’s means of “clearing the decks” for the divine action of raising men to life spiritually through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

To help you toward a clear understanding of salvation, found only in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, we recommend Bob George’s book Complete in Christ.