The Concept of Salvation

Salvation is fundamentally the deliverance from sin and its consequences. It is believed by Christians that through faith in Jesus Christ, one can achieve eternal life.
The idea of salvation comes from the belief that sin separates humans from God, and hence salvation is needed to reunite with God.
Jesus’s crucifixion, according to Christian belief, was a sacrifice that paved the way for the salvation of humanity. Jesus’s death is seen as a gift that pays for the sins of human beings.

Views on Salvation

According to the doctrine of Atonement, Jesus died for everyone’s sins and hence allowed for mankind’s reconciliation with God.
Justification by faith is a belief upheld mostly by Protestants. This belief holds that one is justified before God by faith in Jesus Christ, and not by good deeds.
Universal salvation is a belief that all souls will eventually be reconciled with God, irrespective of their sins on earth. It is a less mainstream belief within Christianity, but it has its followers.

Christians believe in life after death, with the soul being judged after life. The life led by a person on earth can influence this judgement.
The ultimate aim of Salvation is to gain eternal life in heaven, which is perceived as a state of eternal peace and communion with God.
Some Christians also believe in Purgatory, a state that exists between earthly life and heaven where souls are cleansed to prepare for heaven. This idea is particularly prevalent in Catholicism.