For the woman who broke in upon the dinner party at Simon's house, it was forgiveness of her sins and the recovery of dignity. For the prodigal son it was welcome home even before he could get the words of repentance out of his mouth. For his elder brother it could have been leaving his resentments behind and joining the circle of celebration. For the rich man it could have been friendship with Lazarus, broken at his door. What is common in the Biblically recorded experiences of salvation is that, like the shepherd who goes out after the hundredth sheep, God takes the initiative to bring us home.
Salvation is a gift.
There is also a narrower use of the word in Christian tradition. This refers specifically to the self-offering of Jesus Christ which transforms the whole world. The following are the referred to as theories of the atonement. The gospel accounts show Jesus casting out demons, and struggling with the Tempter in the wilderness. In the last and titanic conflict on the cross, Jesus became a ransom for us, exchanging his life for our liberty from captivity.