Salvation - In Three Tenses

Let us understand these three aspects of Salvation

1) Saved from the penalty on sin (JUSTIFICATION)

This is clearing off our past guilt by freeing us from the penalty of the past. Declaring us to be righteous. Court of God’s Law declares us to be guiltless. Salvation is a supernatural work of God. We read in 1 John 4, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10). We read in gospel of John, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:16-18). Now, we read in Romans 8, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death”. (Romans 8:1-2).

2) Being saved from the power of sin (SANCTIFICATION)

Sanctification is the continuous work of God in the life of a believer in making him or her holy. It’s done through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We are expected to grow every moment. It is something like student in the school. He is expected to be promoted to the next class every year. No student would sit in the same class for ever. He is progressing. Some students progress fast someone slow. It depends how seriously you take the lessons. Your growth is not measured by the Bible knowledge. It can be measured by one thing- how far you are being saved from the power of sin. How do we know a child is growing- the frequency of falling reduces slowly and comes to a day he doesn’t fall. If you are falling in sin, even after being a believer for many years, don’t get discouraged. But take it seriously, your falling will be reduced and one day, you will never fall!

We are called to be holy. There are many verses, in fact, commandments in the Bible to examine ourselves every day before God. We are called to follow a different lifestyle from the rest of this world (2 Corinthians 6:17-18). We have been predestined to be conformed to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). We have been called to purify ourselves from everything that contaminates our spirit, soul and body, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God (2 Corinthians 7:1). Bible says, those who are waiting for the return of the Lord must purify themselves, just as our Lord is pure (1 John 3:3).

3) Will be saved from the presence of sin (GLORIFICATION)

This happens at the return of our Lord. This refers particularly to the time when those who died in Christ and the living believers will be given resurrection bodies, a final and full redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23). Bible says, we shall be like Him when He shall appear (1 John 3:2). This verse tells me that when Christ comes back, I will be saved from even the very presence of sins.