What does the Bible mean by salvation?
Salvation is an all-inclusive term for everything God does for a believer who cries out as a sinner, believes Christ died for him, and trusts by faith. God imputes righteousness, forgives, cleanses, baptizes into the body, and does all that needs to be done.
Les explains 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.' God then imputes righteousness, forgives, cleanses, baptizes the believer into the body, and does everything that needs to be done. This is known by faith, not by feeling or sight, because the book says so. Les contrasts the Gospel with church membership, baptism, and works, saying the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. He also points to 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 as the Gospel definition, noting John 3:16 by itself is not the Gospel.