But upon reflection it seemed to me that salvation is not just something to be enjoyed in the next world but is also something to be experienced to some degree here in this life. Jesus preached the reign of God. It seems that he thought it was both breaking in, that it was imminent, and that it was also in the future. That Jesus saved us is a key article of our Christian faith. But how Jesus saved us has been the subject of theological thinking for centuries, starting with the witness of the New Testament writers.
Salvation is a multifaceted mystery.
All of these terms refer to a transition from one state to another. The Apostolic Fathers had some wonderful ways to speak of this mystery of being saved. Some spoke of redemption as a new teaching, a new example of how to live given by Jesus. Jesus opened a new way to knowledge and by imitating Him we could enter into community with Him and with our brothers and sisters. Others thought that the very act of God becoming human through Jesus entailed an elevation, a transformation and a sanctification of the human race - a deification of all humanity.