There has been so many questions as to why we say our salvation is not of works but by grace Eph2:8 yet there are several other Scriptures which suggest that we need to live a righteous and holy life so that we may be save on the judgment day.
The question really is, "are we saved, if yes, then why do we have to workout our salvation with fear and trembling Philippians 2:12
The journey of a Christian is in three fold.
it's a journey of the SAVED, BEING SAVED, SHALL BE SAVED
The Christian life is a journey of the SAVED, who are BEING SAVED so that they SHALL BE SAVED.
1. Saved (Justification )
2. Being saved (Sanctification)
3. Shall be saved (Glorification )
We have been saved, we are presently being saved so that on that final day we shall be saved.
1. WE ARE SAVED.
Ephesians 2:8
8" For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9" not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Every human being born to this world by the union of man and woman, enters into this world a sinner.
This is why of a necessity Jesus the Christ had to be born supernaturally through the collaboration of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary. Amen!
Jesus Christ was coming to deliver mankind from sin and therefore of a necessity needed not to have sin in Him.
Again He needed to defeat sin by overcoming every temptation in order that He may be able to deliver all who are under the bondage of sin.
Matthew 12:29
Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
All these requirements Jesus met. As if that was not enough, he completed every demand of sin by paying with his own blood on the cross so that he might set us free from the power and bondage of sin.
Jesus alone has the power to forgive sin because He alone has defeated sin.
Hebrews 4:15
15" For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
All who have accepted Christ as their Lord and personal savour are saved. For they have been delivered, rescued and set free from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.
This salvation is a gift from Christ to everyone who believes in His name. This salvation is not of works but by grace . Ref Ephesians 2:8
so
We have been saved (regeneration & justification) - Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God..........
These people who now have Christ have been set free from the power of slavery of sin and have now been made slaves of Righteousness through the saving Power of Christ.
You were once a slave to sin but you have now been made a slave to righteousness. Romans 6:15-23
Our true nature before you meet Christ was sin. Because our true nature before we meet Christ was sin, there was no way any of us could ever attain the level of righteousness God required from us.
Amen.
It is for this reason, Christ came to this world that through his victory over sin we may be set free from the power of sin.
But because you've accepted Him as your Lord and personal savour you now have a new identity, a new nature which is righteousness. Amen
Say with me:
I have a new nature in Christ ,
I have a new identity in Christ
Its a nature of righteousness
Its an identity of righteousness
Amen!
What is means is that it is in your nature to do good than devil. Hear me child of God, it is in your nature to go good than evil now that you have Christ.
Because Jesus has broken the Power of sin over your life.
2. WE ARE BEING SAVED
1 Cor 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Philippians 2:12
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
Paul had noticed a trend in the Christians there, they were Christians who do eye-service. Pretence
Ephesians 4:11-16 ( you may read up to the verse 24)
And He gave some apostles, prophets, evangelist, Pastors and Teachers
2Corinthians 3:18
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord".
Brethren, Let us understand that, Until the final day when Christ shall appear to all living, we are in an endless journey of transformation into the perfect image of Christ.
The Christian walk is therefore not a destination where one could say he has arrived. Till Christ come or you go to meet Him, its a never ending journey.
So in
Philippians 3:13-14
13"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 6:9
Therefore, let us not faint in going good.
3. WE SHALL BE SAVED.
1Cor 15:2
by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
Not everyone of the SAVED folks shall be saved on that final day but those who will endure to the end.
Matthew10:22
And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
2Timothy 2:12
If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him,
He also will deny us.
But if we do not continue in these good works that we may be transformed into His perfect image, then we stand the chance of being rejected by Him even though we are saved.
CONCLUSION:
In Hebrews 12: 1-3
1"? Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2"looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3"For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
WE ARE SAVED, AND WE ARE PRESENTLY BEING SAVED SO THAT WE SHALL BE SAVED ON THAT FINAL DAY. Amen!
