Salvation primarily means deliverance, deliverance from some danger in which one stands. But the greatest deliverance that anyone can enjoy is being delivered from sin and eternal condemnation. Since this statement is true, usually we mean by salvation the deliverance of the soul from eternal condemnation. That which is the salvation of the soul is the regeneration of the heart by the Spirit of God. A miracle is wrought, when one accepts the Lord Jesus as his Saviour, Master, and Lord. Then when the Holy Spirit thus regenerates the heart, that one is in a saved condition-saved for time and for eternity. Salvation in this sense is spoken of by the Saviour in His conversation with Nicodemus as the new birth. To Nicodemus Christ said, "Ye must be born anew," or from above. (See John, chapter 3).

The saved person has become a new creation in Christ Jesus. When that occurs, the old things pass away and all things become new. He has a new life, a new hope, a new joy, a new power, a new vision. Everything is new. He sees things differently, acts differently, and he is energized by a different power from that of the flesh.

The Lord miraculously works this change in the life and soul of the believer, and then gives energy and power which enables him to live for the Lord and to labor for Him. If I squander my time, and do not labor for the Master, I shall not receive any reward. On the other hand, if I am faithful and put the Lord first and His service foremost in my daily program and continue that way through life, I shall have a big treasure laid up in heaven. The Lord Jesus said in His message to Christians, "Stop laying up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal." He insisted that we should lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where they will be preserved for us. Then, when we come before the Lord, He will reward us according to our works. We are therefore saved by the grace of God, when we accept Christ; but we are to be rewarded according to our works.