"Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom
we trust that he will yet deliver us." II Corinthians 1:10
The word "salvation" is the all inclusive word of the gospel. It includes everything that is required to bring a sinful soul into the glorious and eternal union of life with Christ in heaven. Paul's deliverances from physical death give us an illustration of spiritual salvation in three stages. It is a mistake to view salvation in only one aspect as being the whole. The Primitive Baptists err in making the decree of God alone salvation. The fundamentalists err in making the new birth alone salvation. If we would view it rightly, we must look upon our salvation from start to finish as the work of God, recalling the past, observing the present, and anticipating the future.
1. WE HAVE BEEN SAVED.
(II Tim. 1:9)
In one sense of the word, our salvation is eternal. God's elect have
always been viewed by him in Christ, "accepted in the Beloved". In
the decree of God we were eternally called, justified, and glorified. To be
sure, all of God's elect were redeemed, justified, and sanctified at
2. WE ARE NOW BEING SAVED.
(Phil. 1:6,
While we are upon the earth, the Holy Spirit
is performing within us that work of sanctification, which will result in
glorification.
3. AND WE TRUST THAT WE SHALL
YET BE SAVED. (Rom.
Not until we are brought before the throne of God in perfect
holiness and purity, in body and soul, will our salvation be complete. But
complete it shall be. God will not fail in his work. The future is as sure as
the past.