NOTE: I am beginning, with this post, to lay down the outlines for a larger project, the Side-Door Theological Dictionary. In this work, I aim to describe and define theological terms in a decidedly non-traditional way. Instead of working through the standard systematic texts and definitions, I aim to come at these concepts through the side door.
I strongly encourage posting your thoughts, remarks, objections, puzzles, etc. This will help me discern where I need to flesh out the sketch.
Side-Door Theological Dictionary: “Salvation”
Salvation is awareness of God’s presence, and
participation in God’s purposes.
God is always present, always is (cf: I AM). The change for
an individual, when entering into a “state of salvation,” is in their level of
awareness of God’s presence. God is not more present at that moment, but the
awareness that God is present has increased—this is what has changed.
This might also be best captured in the pictorial language
of the Kingdom of God [or, God’s Realm]. That is, there is a rough equivalence
between the phrases of entering a state of salvation and entering the kingdom
of God.
For both, the operative ‘power’ effecting the change is
grace. Grace itself is associated with God’s presence and power. So that we are
able to speak of the means of grace in such a way that refers to 1) that which
makes us aware of God’s presence; and 2) enables salvation.
We may speak properly of the turning toward God’s purposes—of
aligning oneself with God’s purposes—as ‘being saved’ and also a synonym for
repentance. Continuing along the way of God’s purposes is the way of salvation.
Anything, then, that creates or increases an awareness of
God’s presence may be said to be a means of grace. The same is true for
sustaining grace, those things that enable a continuing / abiding participation
in God’s purposes.
