What is Salvation?

Most people understand salvation as some eternal life of bliss.

It is more than that. It is our restoration. It is our glorification and purification. It is our inheritance of the Kingdom of Yahweh and adoption into the Family of Yahweh. But most importantly, it is our reconciliation with Yahweh. Our joining with Him, never to be separated again. (see Three R's of Salvation)

Some, call it "going to Heaven" but many people (the majority of the saved) will NOT go to Heaven. Only a very few, the "elect", the "chosen", the "overcomers", the "barley harvest" will go to Heaven.

The remainder, the vast majority (the wheat and the grapes) will be harvested later, on earth, after the New Jerusalem comes to the earth. They will inherit salvation, but won't go to heaven (see Three Judgments)



What is Damnation?

The opposite of Salvation is sometimes referred to as damnation or hell. The truth is, it is living in sin, separated from our Eternal Father. It is "burning" (Luke 24:32) in Yahweh's fire, His Lake of Fire until the end of eternity, when finally ALL will know Yahweh and worship Him (Isaiah 45:23, Hebrews 8:11), and the Restoration of All.



What is Atonement?

While "salvation" is the end result, "atonement" is the process, means or method.

Once we are safe in the New Jerusalem, "how we got there" will be less important. This side of Heaven, before we are safely within those pearly gates, the process of atonement is the most important thing in our lives. This process of atonement is "How we become saved".



What Was Messiah's Sacrifice?

Most Christians regard the Messiah's death on the cross as his sacrifice. This is an error. It truly was a horrible death, but no more or less so than the death of the two thieves on either side. What WAS remarkable, was His obedient LIFE, never wavering in His allegiance to His Father. The Father gave His Son as a living, better sacrifice (Romans 12:1). This is our task (to also be living sacrifices) and Yahushua (Jesus) is our example.

For יהוה [Yahweh, our god] so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For יהוה [Yahweh] sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of יהוה [Yahweh]. John 3:16-18

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of יהוה [Yahweh], that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto יהוה [Yahweh], which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1

Satan is the god of death. He demands death as a sacrifice to himself. Pagan sacrifices of death are to the god of death. Yahweh's sacrifices are LIFE, living sacrifices.

And walk in love, as the Messiah also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to יהוה [Yahweh] for a sweetsmelling savour. Ephesians 5:2

For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Hebrews 9:26

But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; Hebrews 10:12

But, the atoning sacrifice was not His death on the cross. The sacrifice was leaving the side of Yahweh and His place in Heaven, setting aside his reputation, becoming a servant remade into a man, humbled, and obedient unto death (a totally obedient life - THIS is what was remarkable) and finally executed on a stake. His obedient LIFE allowed his resurrection. The following verses completely summarize this atonement. Which part of the text, prior to victory, (the "Wherefore") would YOU NOT define as a sacrifice?

Let this mind be in you, which was also in the Messiah Yahushua [Jesus]: Who, being in the form of Elohim [God], [1] thought it not robbery to be equal with יהוה [Yahweh]: But [2] made himself of no reputation, and [3] took upon him the form of a servant, and was [4] made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he [5] humbled himself, and [6] became obedient unto death, even [7] the death of the stake [mistranslated cross]. Wherefore יהוה [Yahweh] also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: Philippians 2:5-9

All seven of these points, Yahushua did for us. They were his LIVING sacrifice. BECAUSE he lived an obedient life, he was resurrected, which is our proof of his victory.



How is One Saved?

Some may say "I have faith in Jesus to save me, HOW He does it, is unimportant".

Others may say "It's only about love and relationship, the mechanics are unimportant".

I can empathize with these feelings, but if you choose the wrong theory of atonement or hold false doctrines from a false theory, you will worship the wrong god because each false theory changes the character, motives, feelings and actions of the resultant god. We are saved through the process of atonement and it is important to know the true atonement.

Early Christian theologians did not delve deeply into "how" the atonement came to be. Philip Schaff writes: "...the primitive church teachers lived more in the thankful enjoyment of redemption than in logical reflection upon it. We perceive in their exhibitions of this blessed mystery the language rather of enthusiastic feeling than of careful definition and acute analysis." Philip Schaff, "History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2: Ante-Nicene Christianity (100-325),"

The wrong theory attempts to recreate the True God into a false god of one's own making, which is then worshiped by the holder of that false theory.

It trivializes the Almighty into a false, pagan idol.

In truth, it does nothing to the Almighty, but only substitutes a false god within the mind of the deluded.

Worship, even of the Almighty, in the form of a pagan god is idolatry and misses His true majesty. It misses what was truly done and why.

Before we can discover HOW we are saved, we must discern the TRUE atonement. Then we can eschew the false theories and more correctly discern the true nature of our Redeemer and how we can obtain the desired result, SALVATION!