There seems to be 5 main views about salvation and what it means.
- **Inclusivism ** (I think that’s what it’s called)
In this view Jesus’ sacrifice covers everybody automatically. So everyone has been automatically saved as a result. But from what are they saved has not yet been made clear to me. Would God have sent everyone to hell forever, if Christ had not died for us?
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Calvinism
Jesus’ sacrifice covers all the elect. The elect are saved from everlasting torment. The non-elect will have to undergo it.
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Fundamentalism
Jesus sacrifice covers everyone who acknowledges that he is a sinner, and who accepts Christ as his personal Saviour or who believes in the efficacy of His saving grace. Everyone who accepts Christ is positionally righteous and will go to heaven. Everyone else will have to undergo eternal torment.
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Works Righteousness
Do enough good works and avoid evil works and you’ll make it to heaven and avoid hell. Actually, I’ve never met anyone who actually believes this, but those subscribing to Calvinism and Fundamentalism think this view is ubiquitous.
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Early Christianity
The purpose of Christ’s sacrifice is to deliver us from sin, and be purified in this life, and be zealous for righteousnes so that we will become fit for the next. This purification is a life-long process. The apostles Paul and Peter expressed this.
- Peter 2:24 He himself endured our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
II Corinthians 5:15 And he died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Romans 14:9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
Titus 2:14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
Heb 9:26 …he has appeared once for all at the end of the age for the abolition of sin by the sacrifice of himself.*
However, if we never enter the door of salvation and undergo this process in the present life, we will need to be corrected in the next life. Out of His LOVE, God will provide exactly what we need to correct us. This may be severe, but never more that we absolutely need. God never acts out of retribution, but only out of LOVE—always.