When God says that his Word is his power unto salvation, what does he mean? We think of this in terms of being saved from hell, but the words used in the Bible for saved and salvation actually encompass more than that. Let's go on a little tour and see what else salvation encompasses.

One of the primary Greek words used for salvation is sozo (Strong's #4982). This is used in Matthew 1:21, where it says that Jesus shall save his people from their sins. In 1 Timothy 1:15, Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Jesus said that whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved (Mark 16:16). So being saved obviously includes its traditional meaning of being saved from your sins.

The disciples in the boat used the same word when they asked the Lord to save (rescue) them in Matthew 8:25. Peter cried, "Lord, save me" when he began to sink while walking on water. So we see that save can also mean rescue. Preservation in a general sense is indicated by 2 Tim 4:18: "And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom." This again is the word sozo.


The same word sozo is used in James 5:15, where the prayer of faith shall save the sick. In this sense, the sick person will be healed. The person is already saved from his sins; otherwise, he would not qualify for this verse! Jesus told a blind man, "Receive thy sight, thy faith hath saved thee." Again, the word sozo means healed. In 1 Tim 2:15, where a godly woman is promised that she will be saved through childbearing, the meaning is that she will be physically preserved through the process.

There are plenty of other cases where sozo means healed. Here they are. The italicized words in each passage were translated from the same Greek word sozo:


"For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour." -- Matthew 9:21-22.

"And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live." -- Mark 5:23.

"For she said, If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole." -- Mark 5:28.

"And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague." -- Mark 5:34.


"And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole." -- Mark 6:56.

"And Jesus said to him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way." -- Mark 10:52.

"They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed." -- Luke 8:36.

"And he said to her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace." -- Luke 8:48.

"But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not, believe only, and she shall be made whole." -- Luke 8:50.


"And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole." -- Luke 17:19.

"If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole..." -- Acts 4:9.

"The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed..." -- Acts 14:9.

We can see that God's idea of what saved is encompasses more than just avoiding hell when you die. You are not only saved from eternal damnation, but in God's eyes, you are saved from various temporal troubles as well, including sickness. The next time you think about the fact that you are saved, think about all that this word means in the Bible! Realize that Jesus your High Priest is able to save you to the uttermost (Hebrews 7:25), not just save you from sin. Realize that you are more than just reconciled to God. Jesus Christ saves you on an ongoing basis! As Romans 5:10 says, "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."