Salvation in Christianity

In Christianity, salvation (also called deliverance or redemption) is the idea that people can be saved from sin and its effects—like death and being separated from God—through Christ's death and resurrection. This saving act also leads to justification, meaning that people are made right with God because of Jesus.

A 'Jesus Saves' neon cross sign outside of a Protestant church in New York City

The thought that Jesus's death was an atonement for human sin is found in the Christian Bible and was explained more in Paul's epistles and the Gospels. Early believers thought they were part of a new covenant with God, open to everyone, because of Jesus's sacrificial death and his exaltation.

As time went on, Christian thinkers developed many different ways to understand how Jesus saves people. These ideas include the ransom theory, Christus Victor theory, recapitulation theory, satisfaction theory, penal substitution theory, and moral influence theory. Different Christian denominations often disagree on these views, especially about what sin and depravity mean, how justification works, and how Jesus's life and death forgive people’s mistakes.

Definition and scope

Attributed to the circle of Pieter Claeissins II, A Christian Allegory of the Salvation of a Christian Soul (c. 1570–1600) depicts the triumph of virtue over death and Satan. The Bowes Museum.

Salvation in Christianity, also called deliverance or redemption, is about saving people from death and being separated from God. This happens through Christ’s death and resurrection.

Christian salvation includes not just what happened through Christ, but also how people can share in this salvation. This can be through faith, baptism, or obedience. There are also questions about whether salvation is for each person individually or for everyone. It also touches on ideas about the afterlife, like heaven, hell, purgatory, soul sleep, and annihilation. Different Christian groups sometimes disagree on what sin, justification, and atonement mean.

Biblical account

The Bible talks about redemption, or being saved, in places like Psalms 130:8 and Ezra 3:1–13. These passages show early ideas about being freed from sin and finding hope. Later, the New Testament explains how Jesus’s death and coming back to life help people find salvation from sin.

Sin

Main article: Christian views on sin

In Christianity, sin is seen as going against God's laws and hurting others. Early Christian thinkers described sin as anything that opposes God's will. This idea comes from a story in the Bible about the first humans, Adam and Eve, who disobeyed God by eating fruit they were told not to eat. This act is known as original sin.

Because of this original sin, many Christians believe that all people are born with a natural tendency to do wrong. Some Christian groups teach that without God's help, people cannot choose to do good or follow God. This belief is part of their understanding of how humans relate to God and need His guidance to live rightly.

Justification

Main article: Justification (theology)

See also: Righteousness, Theosis, Divinization, and Sanctification

In Christianity, justification is God's way of forgiving our sins and making us right with Him. This happens through what Jesus did by dying and rising again. Different Christian groups, like Catholics and Protestants, have slightly different ideas about how this works.

Catholics and some other Christian groups believe that justification often starts when a person is baptized and continues throughout life as they try to follow God's teachings. Protestants, however, often teach that we are made right with God simply by believing in Jesus, without needing perfect actions. They believe that true faith will naturally lead to good actions in our lives.

Atonement

The word "atonement" means being in harmony or at one with someone. In Christianity, it describes how God’s work through Christ brings people back into a right relationship with Him. Many Christians believe that Jesus’s death and resurrection made it possible for people to be saved from sin and its consequences.

Different Christians have various ways of understanding how Jesus’s death saves people. Some see it as Jesus giving his life to free people from sin and evil powers. Others see it as a way to satisfy God’s honor or to show God’s love and change people’s hearts. Despite these different views, all agree that Jesus’s death and resurrection are central to salvation in Christianity.

Eastern Christianity

In Eastern Christian belief, Jesus’s death is seen as a ransom that restores our relationship with God. This allows people to become more like the humans God wants them to be through a process called theosis or divinization. Salvation means joining in the renewal of human nature through the eternal Word of God taking on human form.

Eastern Orthodox Christians often use the word “expiation” to describe what Jesus achieved. They believe Christ died not to calm an angry God, but to defeat sin and death. This lets people who are lost and trapped in sin become fully human again, reflecting God’s image. They teach that staying close to Christ and finding salvation involves loving actions and patiently enduring life’s hardships.

The Oriental Orthodox hold similar views but differ on some ideas from the 1300s by Gregory Palamas. They believe people can grow closer to God forever but never become fully divine like God the Father.

Catholicism

See also: Catholic Church and Catholic theology

The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus’s death on the Cross was a sacrifice that saves people and brings them closer to God. This sacrifice is seen as a gift from God the Father and an offering by Jesus, who freely gave his life to repair the damage caused by human disobedience.

Catholic theologians often describe salvation in two parts: justification and sanctification. Justification involves faith and satisfying justice, while sanctification involves love and the ability to find true happiness in seeing God’s full glory. The Church also teaches that salvation is a shared experience—when one person is saved, it affects others in the community.

Protestantism

In Protestantism, the idea of salvation centers on God's grace and faith rather than rituals or good works. Protestants believe that justification comes through faith in Christ alone, by the grace alone of God, as taught in Scripture alone. This means that people are saved not by their own efforts, but through trusting in Jesus.

Different Protestant groups have slightly different views on salvation. For example, Lutherans and Reformed Christians believe that once a person is justified, good works naturally follow as a result of this grace. Others, like Methodists, think that continuing faith and obedience are important to keep the salvation strong. Each group emphasizes the importance of faith and God’s grace in saving people from sin.

Topic	Calvinism	Lutheranism	Arminianism
Protestant beliefs about salvation
This table summarizes the classical views of three Protestant beliefs about salvation.
Human will	Total depravity: Humanity possesses "free will", but it is in bondage to sin, until it is "transformed".	Total depravity: Humanity possesses free will in regard to "goods and possessions", but is sinful by nature and unable to contribute to its own salvation.	Total depravity: Humanity possesses freedom from necessity, but not "freedom from sin" unless enabled by "prevenient grace".
Election	Unconditional election.	Unconditional election.	Conditional election in view of foreseen faith or unbelief.
Justification and atonement	Justification by faith alone. Various views regarding the extent of the atonement.	Justification for all men, completed at Christ's death and effective through faith alone.	Justification made possible for all through Christ's death, but only completed upon choosing faith in Jesus.
Conversion	Monergistic, through the means of grace, irresistible.	Monergistic, through the means of grace, resistible.	Synergistic, resistible due to the common grace of free will.
Perseverance and apostasy	Perseverance of the saints: the eternally elect in Christ will certainly persevere in faith.	Holy Spirit strengthens the faith of the believer through the proclamation of the Word and participation in the sacraments; falling away is possible through loss of faith or mortal sin.	Preservation is conditional upon continued faith in Christ; with the possibility of a final apostasy.

Universalism

Restorationism

The New Church (Swedenborgian)

According to The New Church, taught by Emanuel Swedenborg, Jesus's death was not a substitutionary atonement as many believe. Instead, it defeated evil powers that held people captive. This idea, known as the Christus Victor model, was popular long ago and is linked to the Church Fathers and the ransom theory.

Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus's life and death are the only way to forgive sins. They teach that Jesus, as the perfect "second Adam", offered himself as a ransom sacrifice to undo the sin of Adam. Salvation is a gift from God, but people must repent, have faith, and follow Jesus as King. This includes actions like baptism, confession of sins, sharing their beliefs, and serving God. These actions show that their faith is real.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that Jesus's atonement is endless and the heart of the "plan of salvation." The Book of Mormon says that Jesus's sacrifice saves everyone who believes in him. There are two kinds of salvation: one that happens to everyone because of Jesus, and another for those who live righteous lives and follow God's teachings. Young children and those unable to understand right from wrong are saved automatically, but older people need baptism and to keep God's covenants and ordinances to fully inherit the highest heaven.