There is an ancient Greek word, "Sozo", found in the New Testament that is translated salvation. It is a huge word, full of meaning and insight beyond a one-word translation
Sozo is one of those
ancient words so full of concepts that the layers of meaning have long sense
been differentiated by us, sadly, into disconnected terms. It means to heal a
body, to redeem and restore one’s whole life, to transform a community, to
eliminate an addiction, and to deliver from danger.
It's very much like
the Hebrew word "Shalom". Shalom means so much more than mere peace.
It describes peace with God, peace with others, peace with self, internal and
external peace and safety, it means moving forward in life, making good and
right decisions, soundness of reason and wholeness in life. It describes human
flourishing that is only found as the gift of God that it is.
Sozo — salvation - describes the process of bringing an individual or a community to wholeness.
Jesus Christ,
Eternal God the Son, became Incarnate, the embodiment of "Shalom" and
"Sozo". By His life and ministry, by His sacrificial death through
crucifixion, by His mighty resurrection and His glorious ascension, He has made
a singular way for us to enter into and begin to experience the reality and
life-transforming power of His "Sozo", His "Shalom".
When you come to
believe Him, when He comes to live His life in you, because you belong to Him,
He begins to change you from the inside out to live into His "Sozo",
His "Shalom".
That is really Good
News...so much more than we can fathom!
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