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Salvation: Past, Present, Future

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The following has been adapted from the devotionals of F.E. Marsh, a new resource coming soon to the Blue Letter Bible!

 

Salvation has a three-fold nature in regards to its timing. It has a past, present, and future aspect to the believer in Christ.

Past salvation. Those who are Christ’s are saved from what they deserve as sinners, because Christ has died for them and borne in His body the curse that sin merits (Galatians 3:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Ephesians 2:8; 2 Timothy 1:9).

Present salvation. Believers are being saved from the despotism of sin as they abide in Christ and look to Him who lives in the power of an endless life (Romans 5:9; Hebrews 7:25), and who, by the Holy Spirit, is able to work in us mightily, so that we can work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

Future Salvation. The Lord’s children will be saved from the disgrace of sin when Christ returns; hence we wait for Him as a Savior (Philippians 3:20); for this we are kept (1 Peter 1:5), and for this Christ will return (Hebrews 9:28). It is this aspect of salvation of which the Lord says, “It is nearer” (Romans 13:11).

Comments

  2. Very good observation that Philippians 2:12 relates, not to our eternal security, but to our ability to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, thus, accomplishing God’s will (I Timothy 2:4).

  3. Salvation the work of, and for God

    Jhn 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
    Jhn 4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and [then] cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
    Jhn 4:36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
    Jhn 4:37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
    Jhn 4:38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

    Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

  4. Salvation, the power of God

    Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
    1Cr 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
    1Cr 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

  5. Ah, the salvation of our souls. What could be better?
    Considering the fact that we are “partakers of the divine nature” (II Peter 1:4) and we are being “conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29), how Christ-like is our present state of being. It is written of Him, “who is, and who was and who is to come” (Revelation 1:8), the three periods (in our terms) of His existence. We too have three periods of our salvation: we are now being saved, at a former time we were saved, and by the grace of the Almighty God He has promised us we will be saved!
    Rejoice in the assurance (c.f. Heb. 3:14, 6:11, 10:22, 11:1) of your salvation.

  6. Jesus determined to do the will of the Father

    Jhn 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

    Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven
    Mat 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

    Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
    Mat 11:30 For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.

    To what purpose is this fragile gift of life?

    The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [was made] a quickening spirit.
    1Cr 15:47 The first man [is] of the earth, earthy: the second man [is] the Lord from heaven.

    Adam does have a name before the temptation but the woman has no name until after the temptation, fall and pronouncements. Eve is “the woman” in eleven instances until she is named in Genesis 3:20 and then only once again at verse 4:1 is she called Eve in Genesis. It was not about who they were before they chose apart from the will of God. It seems they became more aware of themselves, the individual who, with their fall.

    Mar 10:28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
    Luk 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

  7. Chris,
    John 15:10 was mentioned, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” In studying the scriptures, I found that it is impossiable for man to keep God’s commandments or even to abide in his love. God caused us to desire to keep His commandments and God gives us the desire to abide in his love.However God does the abiding in our life. Thus the power of Salvation.
    If this is not the proper place to make this kind of comment, please feel free to correct me, for I am fairly new to BLB.
    Thanks,
    Max