Salvation:
Salvation (Latin salvatio; Greeksōtēria; Hebrewyeshu'ah[citation needed]) is being saved or protected from harm[1] or being saved or delivered from some dire situation.[2] Inreligion, salvation is stated as the saving of the soul from sin and its consequences.[3]
The academic study of salvation is called soteriology.
Meaning
See also: Redemption (theology)
In religion, salvation is the saving of thesoul from sin and its consequences.[4] It may also be called "deliverance" or "redemption" from sin and its effects.[5]Salvation is considered to be caused either by the free will and grace of a deity or by personal efforts through prayer and asceticism, or some combination of the two. Religions often emphasize the necessity of both personal effort—for example, repentanceand asceticism—and divine action (e.g. grace).
Abrahamic religions
Judaism
See also: Atonement in Judaism
In contemporary Judaism, redemption (Hebrew ge'ulah), refers to Godredeeming the people of Israel from their various exiles.[6] This includes the final redemption from the present exile.[7]
Judaism holds that adherents do not need personal salvation as Christians believe. Jews do not subscribe to the doctrine of Original sin.[8] Instead, they place a high value on individual morality as defined in the law of God — embodied in what Jews know as the Torah or The Law, given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai, the summary of which is comprised in the Ten Commandments. The Jewish sage Hillel the Elder states that The Law can be further compressed in just one line, popularly known as theGolden Rule: "That which is hateful to you, do not do unto your fellow".[9]
In Judaism, salvation is closely related to the idea of redemption, a saving from the states or circumstances that destroy the value of human existence. God as the universal spirit and Creator of the World, is the source of all salvation for humanity, provided an individual honours God by observing his precepts. So redemption or salvation depends on the individual. Judaism stresses that salvation cannot be obtained through anyone else or by just invoking a deity or believing in any outside power or influence.[9]
When examining Jewish intellectual sources throughout history, there is clearly a spectrum of opinions regarding death versus the Afterlife. Possibly an over-simplification, one source says salvation can be achieved in the following manner: Live a holy and righteous life dedicated to Yahweh, the God of Creation. Fast, worship, and celebrate during the appropriate holidays.[10] By origin and nature, Judaism is an ethnic religion. Therefore, salvation has been primarily conceived in terms of the destiny of Israel as the elect people of Yahweh (often referred to as “the Lord”), the God of Israel.[7] In the biblical text of Psalms, there is a description of death, when people go into the earth or the "realm of the dead" and cannot praise God. The first reference to resurrection is collective inEzekiel's vision of the dry bones, when all the Israelites in exile will be resurrected. There is a reference to individual resurrection in the Book of Daniel (165 BCE), the last book of the Hebrew Bible.[11] It was not until the 2nd century BCE that there arose a belief in an afterlife, in which the dead would be resurrected and undergo divine judgment. Before that time, the individual had to be content that his posterity continued within the holy nation.[7]
The salvation of the individual Jew was connected to the salvation of the entire people. This belief stemmed directly from the teachings of the Torah. In the Torah, God taught his people sanctification of the individual. However, he also expected them to function together (spiritually) and be accountable to one another. The concept of salvation was tied to that of restoration for Israel.[12]
Christianity
Main articles: Salvation (Christianity) andAtonement in Christianity
Christianity’s primary premise is that theincarnation and death of Jesus Christformed the climax of a divine plan for humanity’s salvation. This plan was conceived by God consequent on the Fall of Adam, the progenitor of the human race, and it would be completed at the Last Judgment, when the Second Coming of Christ would mark the catastrophic end of the world.[13]
For Christianity, salvation is only possible through Jesus Christ. Christians believe that Jesus' death on the cross was the once-for-all sacrifice that atoned for the sin of humanity.[13]
The Christian religion, though not the exclusive possessor of the idea of redemption, has given to it a special definiteness and a dominant position. Taken in its widest sense, as deliverance from dangers and ills in general, most religions teach some form of it. It assumes an important position, however, only when the ills in question form part of a great system against which human power is helpless.[14]
According to Christian belief, sin as the human predicament is considered to be universal.[15] For example, inRomans 1:18-3:20 the Apostle Pauldeclared everyone to be under sin—Jew and Gentile alike. Similarly, the Apostle John was explicit: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us".[1 Jn. 1:8] Again, he said, "Should we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us".[1:10] Salvation is made possible by the life, death, andresurrection of Jesus, which in the context of salvation is referred to as the "atonement".[16] Christian soteriologyranges from exclusive salvation[17]:p.123to universal reconciliation[18] concepts. While some of the differences are as widespread as Christianity itself, the overwhelming majority agrees that salvation is made possible by the work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, dying on the cross.
Variant views on salvation are among the main fault lines dividing the variousChristian denominations, both betweenRoman Catholicism and Protestantismand within Protestantism, notably in theCalvinist–Arminian debate, and the fault lines include conflicting definitions ofdepravity, predestination, atonement, but most pointedly justification.
Salvation is believed to be a process that begins when a person first becomes a Christian, continues through that person's life, and is completed when they stand before Christ in judgment. Therefore, according to Catholic apologist James Akin, the faithful Christian can say in faith and hope, "Ihave been saved; I am being saved; and Iwill be saved."[20]
Christian salvation concepts are varied and complicated by certain theological concepts, traditional beliefs, anddogmas. Scripture is subject to individual and ecclesiastical interpretations. While some of the differences are as widespread as Christianity itself, the overwhelming majority agrees that salvation is made possible by the work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, dying on the cross.
The purpose of salvation is debated, but in general most Christian theologiansagree that God devised and implemented his plan of salvationbecause he loves them and regards human beings as his children. Since human existence on Earth is said to be "[given] to sin",[Jn 8:34] salvation also has connotations that deal with theliberation[21] of human beings from sin, and the suffering associated with thepunishment of sin—i.e., "the wages of sin is death."[Rom. 6:23]
Christians believe that salvation depends on the grace of God. Stagg writes that a fact assumed throughout the Bible is that humanity is in "serious trouble from which we need deliverance…. The fact of sin as the human predicament is implied in the mission of Jesus, and it is explicitly affirmed in that connection". By its nature, salvation must answer to the plight of humankind as it actually is. Each individual's plight as sinner is the result of a fatal choice involving the whole person in bondage, guilt, estrangement, and death. Therefore, salvation must be concerned with the total person. "It must offer redemptionfrom bondage, forgiveness for guilt, reconciliation for estrangement, renewal for the marred image of God".[22]
Islam
In Islam, salvation refers to the eventual entrance to heaven. Islam teaches that people who die disbelieving in the God do not receive salvation. It also teaches that non-Muslims who die believing in the God but disbelieving in his message (Islam), are left to his will. Those who die believing in the One God and his message (Islam) receive salvation.[23]
Narrated Anas Radeyallāhu ′Anhu that Muhammad said,
Islam teaches that all who enter into Islam must remain so in order to receive salvation.
For those who have not been granted Islam or to whom the message has not been brought;
Tawhid
See also: Tawhid and Shirk (Islam)
Belief in the “One God”, also known as the Tawhid (التَوْحيدْ) in Arabic, consists of two parts (or principles):
- Tawheedo Al Ruboobeeya ( تَوْحيدُ الرُبوبِيَّة): Believing in the attributes of God and attributing them to no other but God. Such attributes include Creation, having no beginning, and having no end. These attributes are what make a God. Islam also teaches 99 names for God, and each of these names defines one attribute. One breaks this principle, for example, by believing in an Idol as an intercessor to God. The idol, in this case, is thought of having powers that only God should have, thereby breaking this part of Tawheed. No intercession is required to communicate with, or worship, God.[25]
- Tawheedo Al Ilooheeya (تَوْحيدُ الإِلوهيَّة): Directing worship, prayer, or deed to God, and God only. For example, worshiping an idol or any saint or prophet is also considered Shirk, though prophets and saints may be asked for guidance or to pray for them.
Sin and repentance
See also: Repentance in Islam and Islamic views on sin
Islam also stresses that in order to gain salvation, one must also avoid sinning along with performing good deeds. Islam acknowledges the inclination of humanity towards sin.[26][27] Therefore, Muslims are constantly commanded to seek God's forgiveness and repent. Islam teaches that no one can gain salvation simply by virtue of their belief or deeds, instead it is the Mercy of God, which merits them salvation.[28]However, this repentance must not be used to sin any further. Islam teaches that God is Merciful, but it also teaches that He is Omnipresent. The Quran states:
Islam describes a true believer to haveLove of God and Fear of God. Islam also teaches that every person is responsible for their own sins. The Quran states;
Al-Agharr al-Muzani, a companion of Mohammad, reported that Ibn 'Umar stated to him that Mohammad said,
Sin in Islam is not a state, but an action (a bad deed); Islam teaches that a child is born sinless, regardless of the belief of his parents, dies a Muslim; he enters heaven, and does not enter hell. Sahih al-Bukhari, 2:23:467
Five Pillars
Main article: Five Pillars of Islam
There are acts of worship that Islam teaches to be mandatory. Islam is built on five principles. Narrated Ibn 'Umar that Muhammad said,
Not performing the mandatory acts of worship may deprive Muslims of the chance of salvation.[32]
Indian religions
Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism andSikhism share certain key concepts, which are interpreted differently by different groups and individuals.[33] In those religions one is not liberated from sin and its consequences, but from thesaṃsāra (cycle of rebirth) perpetuated by passions and delusions and its resultingkarma.[34] They differ however on the exact nature of this liberation.[34]Salvation is called moksha[34] or muktiwhich mean liberation and release respectively. This state and the conditions considered necessary for its realization is described in early texts of Indian religion such as the Upanishadsand the Pāli Canon, and later texts such the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and theVedanta tradition.[35] Moksha can be attained by sādhanā, literally "means of accomplishing something".[36] It includes a variety of disciplines, such asyoga and meditation.
Nirvana is the profound peace of mind that is acquired with moksha(liberation). In Buddhism and Jainism, it is the state of being free from suffering. In Hindu philosophy, it is union with theBrahman (Supreme Being). The word literally means "blown out" (as in a candle) and refers, in the Buddhist context, to the blowing out of the fires of desire, aversion, and delusion,[37][38] and the imperturbable stillness of mind acquired there-after.[37]
In Theravada Buddhism the emphasis is on one's own liberation from samsara.[38] The Mahayana traditions emphasize the bodhisattva path,[38] in which "each Buddha and Bodhisattva is a redeemer", assisting the Buddhist in seeking to achieve the redemptive state.[39] The assistance rendered is a form of self-sacrifice on the part of the teachers, who would presumably be able to achieve total detachment from worldly concerns, but have instead chosen to remain engaged in the material world to the degree that this is necessary to assist others in achieving such detachment.[39]
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