作者: 史鮑爾 (R.C. Sproul)
譯者: 姚錦榮
摘自《神學入門》《Essential Truths of the Christian Faith》p.151 , 更新傳道會出版
有一次 ，我在美國費城路上遇見一 個年輕人，他問我：「你得救了沒有？」我回答說：「是從甚麼中被救出來呢？」他聽後竟然語塞。也許他對自己問別人的這個問題沒有仔細想過。我當然不是從那些在路上截住我問：「你得救了沒有？」的人手中被救出來。
有沒有得救是聖經中一個極重要的問題。聖經的主題就是救恩。耶穌尚在馬利亞腹中時，被稱為救主；救主與救恩是分不開的，救主的任務就是拯救。
但我們還是要問，我們是從甚麼中被救出來呢？ 聖經中救恩的定義是廣闊和多元的。救這個簡單的動 詞是「從危險或可怕的處境中被救出來 之意。當以色列人從敵人手下逃離時，人 說 他們得救了；當人從命危的災 病中康復時，他們經歷到得救；農作物逃過水旱災，結果也可說是得救。
救恩一 詞的用法也差不多。在拳賽中，如果在裁判數到十之前，比賽便 結束了，我們會說： 「鐘聲救了那位拳手。」救恩是指從某種災禍中獲救。但是聖經也從一個特別的角度來使用此詞，用以說明我們最終從罪中得到拯救，並與神和好。若是從這個角度來說，救恩則是指從最後的那場災禍 -------神的審判-------中獲救 。這終極的救恩是由基督完成的，即「那位救我們脫離將來忿怒的耶穌 」（帖前 1 : 1 0 ) 。
聖經清楚指出，將來有一 天 全人類都要在神前受審判，將自己的一
生在神面前說明。對很多人來說， 這個主的日子將是黑暗一片。那 一日 ，神要對惡人和不知悔改的人，傾下祂的
忿怒，那是最後一次的大毀滅，是人類歷史上最黑暗的日子，最可怕的一場大災難。能從神所命定 一定會臨到世界的忿怒中獲救， 那才真正是終極的得救，這就是基督以救主的身分為祂子民所施行的拯救。
在聖經中，救恩一 詞不但有多重的意思，也用多種時態來表示。此字的動詞救，在希臘文幾乎用過所有的時態來表達：我們在神創立世界以前已經被救 ( 過去式）；我們是因著神過去在歷史上的作為以致得救（過去進行式）；我們因蒙神稱義，現今是得救的（現在式） ；藉著成聖的過程，我們不斷地蒙神拯救（現在進行式） ；當救贖之工完成時，我們 在天上都將得救 (未來式）。聖經用過去、現在和將來的時態談及救恩。
有時候，我們用今天所蒙的稱義來表達目前所享的救恩；但有時我們又把稱義視 為整全救恩秩序或計畫中特定的一步。
最後，我們還必須了解聖經對救恩所持的另一
個重要觀念：救恩是由神來的，它絕不是出於人的作為。人類無法自救。救贖乃是神的作為，需靠神來完成和實踐。救恩不但屬於神，也是出於神。是神自己救我們脫離祂的忿怒。
總結
1 .救恩的廣泛意義就是「從可怕的處境中獲救 」。
2 .最終的得救是指從神傾下忿怒的最終災禍中獲救。
3 . 聖經用救恩一 詞時，以幾種不同時態來說明神在過去、現在和將來的 救贖工作。
4 . 稱義有時可當作救恩的同義詞，有時又被視為是神整個救贖計畫中的一環。
5 . 救恩屬於神，也出於神 。
思考經文：
結36 ：26 - 27；約3 ：16 17；羅 1 ：16-17；林前1 :26-31 ；帖前1 ：6- 10
Salvation
I was
once confronted by a young man in Philadelphia who asked me, "Are you
saved?" My reply to him was, "Saved from what?" He was taken
aback by my question. He obviously hadn't thought much about the meaning of the
question he was asking people. I was certainly not saved from people interrupting
me on the street and buttonholing me with the question "Are you
saved?"
The
question of being saved is the supreme question of the Bible. The subject
matter of the sacred Scriptures is the subject of salvation. Jesus, at His
conception in the womb of Mary, is announced as the Savior. Saviorhood and
salvation go together. It is the role of the Savior to save.
Yet
again we ask, saved from what? The biblical meaning of salvation is broad and
varied. In its simplest form the verb to save means "to be rescued from a
dangerous or threatening situation." When Israel escapes defeat at the
hands of her enemies in battle, she is said to be saved. When people recover
from a life-threatening illness, they experience salvation. When the harvest is
rescued from blight or drought, the result is salvation.
We
use the word salvation in a similar way. A boxer is said to be "saved by
the bell" if the round ends before the referee counts him out. Salvation
means to be rescued from some calamity. However, the Bible also uses the term
salvation in a specific sense to refer to our ultimate redemption from sin and
reconciliation to God. In this sense, salvation is from the ultimate
calamity—the judgment of God. The ultimate salvation is accomplished by Christ
who "delivers us from the wrath to come" (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
The
Bible clearly announces that there will be a day of judgment in which all human
beings will be held accountable before the tribunal of God. For many this
"day of the Lord" will be a day of darkness with no light in it. It
will be the day when God will pour out His wrath against the wicked and
impenitent. It will be the ultimate holocaust, the darkest hour, the worst
calamity in human history. To be delivered from God's wrath, which most
assuredly will come upon the world, is ultimate salvation. This is the rescue
operation Christ performs for His people as their Savior.
The
Bible uses the term salvation not only in many senses, but in many tenses. The
verb to save appears in virtually every possible tense of the Greek language.
There is a sense in which we were saved (from the foundation of the world); we
were being saved (by the work of God in history); we are saved (by being in a
justified state); we are being saved (by being sanctified or made holy); and we
will be saved (experience the consummation of our redemption in heaven). The
Bible speaks of salvation in terms of the past, present, and future.
Sometimes
we equate present salvation in terms of our justification, which is present. At
other times, we see justification as one specific step in the whole order or
plan of salvation.
Finally,
it is important to note another central aspect of the biblical concept of
salvation. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is not a human enterprise. Human
beings cannot save themselves. Salvation is a divine work; it is accomplished
and applied by God. Salvation is both of the Lord and from the Lord. It is the
Lord who saves us from the wrath of the Lord.
1. The broad meaning of salvation is
"to be rescued from a threatening situation."
2. Ultimate salvation means to be
delivered from the ultimate calamity of God's wrath.
3. The Bible uses salvation in several
tenses, referring to God's past, present, and future work of redemption.
4. Justification is sometimes used as a
synonym for salvation; at other times it is seen as one aspect in the whole
scheme of redemption.
5. Salvation is of the Lord and from the
Lord.
