What does it mean that today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2)?

from the old testament

• Paul was quoting from Isaiah 49:8, which reads, “Thus says the Lord: 'In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages.'” While that verse is specifically about saving Israel from captivity, Paul understands from the entire Old Testament that God had a broader salvation in mind, one that included the Gentiles. Thus, he rightly understood this to refer to the time when the Messiah would come and bring salvation to all.
• When God works decisively in a period of time, it is sometimes referred to as a “day,” though it may not be a literal single day. For example, Isaiah 61:1–2 reads, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.” Here we learn about the “year” of the LORD and the “day” of God’s vengeance. These refer to specific events that may or may not occur in a single day.

from the new testament

• Second Corinthians 6:2 comes on the heels of Paul’s “mission statement.” In 2 Corinthians 5:20, he said, “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” Previously, he explained that God, through Christ, was reconciling people to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:17–19), with Paul being one of the “ambassadors” bringing the message of salvation to the Corinthians.
• He then summarizes their message: “For our sake [God] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Unpacking that message just a bit, God sent His Son to die for sin (John 3:16). When Jesus died, the Father applied the sin that others committed to the perfect Jesus (making Him sin who knew no sin). He then credited Jesus’ righteousness to the sinners so that they would be considered righteous. It is by that great exchange that our sin can be forgiven, and we can be reconciled to God.
• Jesus’ death and resurrection initiated the “day” of salvation, which God had promised in Isaiah 49:8. Paul, quoting the Isaiah passage, gave the implication: “now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
• However, the day of opportunity for salvation is not forever. Elsewhere, Paul said that salvation is “from the wrath of God” (Romans 5:9). There will be a future “day” when that wrath will come. From that point on, no one else can be saved because they will have already begun their eternal judgment.
• Thus, “now is the day of salvation” is a call to repentance and faith in Jesus while there is still time.

implications for today

We often live as if there will always be more time—more time to repent, more time to take God seriously, more time to share the gospel—but Scripture cuts through that illusion with urgency: today is the day. We cannot afford spiritual procrastination because the opportunity God is offering right now is both real and temporary.

If you have not trusted Christ, the call is immediate—turn from sin and receive the salvation He has already secured. If you have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sins, this truth reshapes how we live. It calls us to speak, love, and act with urgency toward those who are still outside. Every moment becomes weighty, not in fear, but in purpose because God is actively calling people to Himself through us. We are not waiting for the “right time”—we are living in it. Will we respond today?