Scriptures refers to salvation as a means of rescuing us from:
1. This present evil age
Gal 1:4 …who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.
2. Our present alienation from God
2 Cor 5:19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Eph 2:12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household…
3. An aimless and hopeless life
Eph 2:12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
1 Pet 1:18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
4. Bondage to sin
Matt 1:21 She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed…
John 8:34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
Acts 3:26 For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.
Rom 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
5. The fear of death
1 Cor 15:54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?
Heb 2:14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
Additionally, “salvation” is seen as a rescue from “the wrath to come” (Matt. 3: 7; Rom. 5: 9; 1 Thess. 1: 10; 5: 9), though what form this wrath may take remains obscure. It does not necessarily refer to postmortem destinies. Though frequently mentioned in the Old Testament, God’s “wrath” is never clearly identified there with circumstances of the next life, but with severe temporal judgments upon nations or individuals.
Matt 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”
Rom 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified [a]by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath [of God...added in] through Him.
1 Thess 1:10 …and to wait for His Son from [a]heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.
1 Thess 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.