The Two Salvations: Rescue (Sōzō) vs. Complete Wellness (Sōtēria) 🛡️
The New Testament uses two main concepts for salvation, and understanding their difference clarifies that salvation is a continuous process culminating in the Lord’s return.
1. The Act of Rescue: Sōzō (σωζˊω)
- Meaning: This is the most common verb translated as “to save.” It means “to rescue,” “to deliver,” or “to make safe” from danger or death.
- Theological Focus: Sōzō describes the initial, definitive act of justification—the moment a person is rescued from the penalty of sin through faith in Christ. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved (sōzō)” (Acts 16:31). This part of salvation is fixed and immediate.
- The Present Tense: This word is also often used in the present tense to describe ongoing deliverance from the power of sin in daily life.
Sōzō is the initial, present rescue from danger and penalty.
2. The Final Condition of Wellness: Sōtēria (σωτηριˊα)
- Meaning: This word is the related noun meaning “deliverance,” “safety,” or “complete soundness/wellness.” It describes the state or condition of being fully saved.
- The Shocking Tie: This word points to the future, final completion of salvation. Paul says, “Now is our salvation (sōtēria) nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11). This statement would be nonsensical if salvation was only the initial act (sōzō).
- The Final Reality: Sōtēria represents the final, eternal application of salvation—the glorification of the body and the complete rescue from the very presence of sin. It is the finished state of total wellness in the New Heavens and New Earth.
The Eschatological Conclusion
The final return of Christ is the moment the two salvations merge:
- The initial rescue (Sōzō) is secured by the cross.
- The final, complete wellness (Sōtēria) is realized at the Return.
The ultimate shocking truth is that the believer’s justification is secure, but their glorification is still future and nearer—meaning we are completely saved in status, yet still actively being saved in our experience and ultimate destiny.
The Return Question
If the completion of salvation (Sōtēria) is nearer than when you first believed, what present sin or struggle are you treating as an ‘unavoidable’ condition, failing to grasp that Christ’s return is literally the guarantee that you will be completely delivered from the very presence of that sin?