"Is it a Salvation Issue?"
What could be the most unhelpful question in the Christian vocabulary.
Imagine spending time digging into what scripture reveals about who God is. You fall in love, not just with the magnificent vision with which the Biblical authors portray God, but even more so, with God himself. Then, one day, while sharing your knowledge with a friend, the conversation grows deeper and more theological. At some point, they grow uneasy and say, “Well, at the end of the day, we have to ask: is this a salvation issue? Because, if not, we really are just wasting time.”
All of the delight that the knowledge of God has brought you is suddenly shunned by this one statement. It’s a familiar phrase, one you have heard your whole life, even using it yourself to wave off discussions that felt unnecessary. But on reflection, something about it doesn’t sit right.
For the two of us writing this article, this experience is not merely a hypothetical situation, but one we have experienced many times. If you too are familiar with this phrase (“Is it a salvation issue?”), you likely know that it has been used as a filter for nearly every discussion of scripture known to man. This question has been thrown around, often used to discern where one will draw the line on truth and where they will maintain unity. But for those who adopt it, it quietly becomes a lens by which the Christian lives out their faith.
The Flawed Pursuit
Behind the inquiry “Is it a salvation issue?” lies a more direct question that the prior seeks to find out: “Will this action keep me out of heaven and put me into hell?” If yes, then it’s a salvation issue. If not, then there is no need to waste our time thinking about it or discussing it. Through this lens, scripture is read to determine what is required for salvation, choices are made to secure it, and one goes about their way. Inevitably, God’s word becomes nothing more than a means to an end, valuable only for what it can secure rather than for who it reveals.
This method is simply not a Biblical framework for the Christian life. When the practice of labeling things as “salvation issues” becomes the standard for the practice and pursuit of our faith, we neglect three vital truths.
1. We Were Made to Know God Rightly
A faith that revolves around what one deems to be “salvation issues” forgets the very purpose for which we were made. The Bible shows us that man’s purpose on this earth is not simply to follow all the rules so that he can be saved. Rather, the purpose of our existence is to know and show God’s glory. God makes this known in the book of Jeremiah, declaring to the nation of Judah:
23 ...“Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” — Jeremiah 9:23-24
Likewise, God reminds the Israelites through the prophet Hosea,
“For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” — Hosea 6:6
A proper knowledge of God cannot come through seeking to know the rules while dismissing the rule maker. Thus, if we want to fulfill our purpose and truly seek salvation, we must seek to know God. Jesus himself shows that eternal life is not found in the pursuit of discerning what will put us in heaven and keep us out of hell when he prays to the Father, stating,
“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” — John 17:3
The Christian’s quest for salvation does not revolve around the rigid practice of discerning what is and what is not a “salvation issue.” Rather, it is found in the selfless, delight-filled pursuit of knowing God. Thus, knowing God must be the foundation of our studies as Christians.
This is why the study of theology is so important. Theology is the practice of studying the scriptures to know God rightly. Therefore, it is the most necessary study man has ever known — not just some hobby for Christian’s with nothing better to do.
So, our pursuit to understand God’s word must never be limited to discerning how to stay out of hell. If this is all we strive to know, and in turn neglect our maker, we have almost certainly discovered nothing more than a sure path to meeting the very end we seek to avoid.
2. Everything is a Salvation Issue
One of the assumptions that the “salvation issue” framework relies on is that there are some things in the Christian life which are not “salvation issues.” However, the Bible presents no case for this; rather, it establishes the opposite: that everything is a salvation issue.
Now, it is necessary to say that what is meant by “everything is a salvation issue” is not that Christian’s must agree with one another on every point of view to maintain that unity. Rather, what is meant is that no moment of the Christian’s life can be viewed as morally neutral.
Right after revealing that everything is clean for the Christian to eat, Paul reminds his readers that the very thing which God has called clean may yet present an opportunity to sin. But on what grounds could something that is objectively clean be sinful for the believer? Paul reveals,
“But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” — Romans 14:23
Paul shows his readers that there is no neutral ground in the Christian life. Everything we do must be in reference to God through faith. Why is this the case? Because everything in this world belongs to God. John Piper once wrote,
“There is one ultimate owner in the universe, God. All others are trustees. Neither we nor what we have is finally our own. It is all a trust to be used for the aims of the owner. In a sense, therefore, all sin is embezzling.”1
It is on this basis that the New Testament makes the common call to Christians to do everything for God’s glory.
“Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17).
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23).
And yes, when scripture says “whatever,” it really means whatever! God universalizes the obligation of our faith to every act and thought we engage in, not just religious-looking ones. So, when we perceive rightly that God is the maker and sustainer of every second of our existence, we will understand that no moment, thought, word, or doctrine is morally neutral. No — instead, we are morally obligated to dedicate every fiber of our being to serving God, who does not need us, yet gives us all things to live to his glory. So, should you choose to continue asking the question, “Is this a salvation issue?” just know that the answer will always be yes!
3. God Grants Us His Grace
Now, the knowledge that every aspect of our lives is a salvation issue may seem scary and tragically terrifying. And it should be. For we serve a holy God who is eternally opposed to sin. His wrath must inevitably be poured out onto sinners. What can we possibly say to this?
“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord…There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 7:25-8:1).
God has not left us to bear this weight on our own. While every minute of our lives will indeed come into account in our judgement, the Christian’s standing before God no longer rests on his ability to perfectly discern and obey in each of those moments. Instead, it rests on Christ, who lived the perfect life we could not live. In his death, he bore the wrath we deserved, and by doing so, imputed his righteousness to us (2 Corinthians 5:12). Thus, it is by grace that we have been saved.
Grace does not lower the stakes of our obedience; it changes the motive behind it. We no longer view scripture as a means to secure our own safety, but pursue theology, obedience, and holiness because we already are secure in Christ. By the grace of God, we are freed to pursue the very purpose for which we were made: knowing and showing his glory. Without grace, there is no hope of accomplishing this pursuit.
Conclusion
Beneath the question “Is it a salvation issue?” lies a subtle self-interest. Instead of “Who is God and what does He deserve?” we prioritize the question “How can I save myself?” As we study scripture, not merely to answer practical questions, but to know God more fully, our orientation will shift. Rather than trying to create a list of salvation issues, we must change our pursuit. So, may we move from a faith oriented around self-preservation to one oriented around delighting in and honoring God for who he is.
Piper, John. Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ. Revised ed., Crossway, 2004.