If the subject of soteriology is approached in this way—and if the word salvation is taken to summarize “the things freely given to us by God”—the first question sacred theology may want to ask is, “Just what did Jesus the Savior think He was doing in the work of salvation? How did the God-Man perceive what He was about? What, in His mind, were ‘the things of My Father’ that He had to accomplish? What was Jesus’ own sense of redemption?” We must rely, then, on the Gospel.