What does the word salvation include in the Bible?
In the Bible, salvation is an all-inclusive word. It includes everything God does for the believer who cries out as a sinner and believes Christ died for him: imputed righteousness, forgiveness, cleansing, baptism into the body, and all else that needs to be done. It is known by faith, not feeling or sight.
Les explains that in Romans 1:16 Paul calls the Gospel the power of God unto salvation, not church membership, baptism, or a work. He reminds us that salvation is that all-inclusive word implying everything God does on behalf of the believer who cries out, “I’m a sinner, I’m in need of salvation, I believe that Christ died for me.” Then God imputes righteousness, forgives, cleanses, baptizes the believer into the body, and does everything that needs to be done. How do we know? By faith, not by feeling or seeing, but because the book says so. Les also notes that the Gospel is defined in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, and John 3:16 by itself is not the Gospel.