Introduction

Do you ever wonder if people know the meaning of the words they speak? When you hear someone say they saw a bad ride, do they mean they saw a broken-down vehicle? Maybe the roller coaster at the amusement park wasn't operational. If you say your alarm is going off, is it making some audible alert to wake you, or is it having a temper tantrum? How do I really know what you mean? Many factors go into determining the meaning of words and phrases communicated to the listener. Knowing this, when I hear someone say they got saved, if I don't know their understanding of the term, I have to wonder what they mean. Here I try to explore what people mean when they use this common phrase heard in the Baptist churches of the American South. It is a serious question with eternal consequences: What do you mean you got saved?