What is God’s salvation meant to do? What items are included in our ‘saving’ by God? Let’s do a non-scientific word usage study in the Gospels. There are two words in the Greek that are used to convey the meanings and implications of salvation -‘soteria,’ Strong’s Concordance #4991 and ‘sozo,’ Strong’s Concordance #4982. Together they are used a total of 54 times.
This is how the usage breaks down in the Gospels
Word Usage Category | Matthew | Mark | Luke | John | Total | |
Vague Reference To Salvation | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
Forgiveness From Sin – Spiritual | 4 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 19 | |
Physical Healing & Demonic Deliverance | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 14 | |
Physical Rescue From Harm or Danger | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 17 |
It seems like the physical aspect of salvation – healing, deliverance, and safety from harm – when taken together are given more scripture time than the most advertised purpose – forgiveness of sins. Many times Jesus demonstrated the unseen aspect of spiritual forgiveness by a very visible physical healing.
And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” Matthew 9:4-6
Physical salvation in its many forms – bodily healing, demonic deliverance, and protection from danger are an integral part of the salvation that Jesus paid for on the Cross. God’s redemption for man is meant to be on all levels – spiritual, soulish, and physical. It takes simple faith to access any one of these salvation benefits.