Believers – saved and ‘being’ saved. . .

Posted by Dan C. on

There are three aspects of the salvation of those who have believed in and trusted Christ as Lord and Savior.

  • Salvation from the penalty of sin; an eternity of torment in Hell; the just penalty of a righteous God whose wrath is poured out against all unrighteousness.
  • Salvation from the power of sin; here and now while we yet live and breathe.
  • Salvation from the presence of sin when Christ returns to establish His Kingdom.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Rom 1:16-17)

The gospel is the power of God for salvation because (‘For in it. . .’) in it (the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed.

I don’t know about anyone who reads this blog, but it is impossible for this old soldier to honestly consider the righteousness of God without being faced with my own unrighteousness. By that I don’t mean the difference between God’s standard of righteousness and man’s, but my total and utter lack of any righteousness in the face of God’s perfect, holy, and just righteousness.

In order for us to be accepted and welcomed by God into His presence we must possess perfect righteousness. Because of our sin(s) we cannot and will not ever. on our own merit, possess the righteousness that God demands to enter His presence. Therefore, because of His great love and mercy, God gives to those who believe in Christ the very righteousness the He himself demands.

What does that have to with ‘being’ saved?

Well, it occurred to me this morning that the moment I believed in Christ I was saved from the just penalty of sin; experiencing the wrath of God that sin deserves. It also occurred to me that in my humanness I sin every day, and therefore every day deserve the wrath of God against that sin, no matter what it is. The sin I commit ‘today’ deserves God’s wrath ‘today’.

Having said that, is it appropriate to suggest that while I was saved when I first believed, I am also ‘being’ saved on a daily basis, by the same ‘power of the gospel’ and because of the imputed righteousness of Christ?

Can we say that the ‘power of the gospel’ is the bedrock of the assurance of our salvation as believers?

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you. Through faith you are shielded by God’s power until the coming of salvation…” (1 Peter 1:3-5)

I invite your comments.

2 responses to “Believers – saved and ‘being’ saved. . .”

  1. Hi there =) I’m gonna give this a shot….I read passages like 1 John 3:2 which says, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared.” To me this means, we can’t live as glorified beings yet, we will sin. Jesus, being Lord of past, present and future, needs to be looked at in ALL. So it should be ok if we experience some things incompatible with where and what we WILL be; while we’re still in the here and now, and at the same time remain confident that what WAS done, IS done.

    I’ve always learned that the fact that He HAS saved us like in scriptures such as Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” is regeneration….

    He IS saving us like is stated in 2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” which is sanctification…..

    And He WILL save us as in 1 Peter 1:5 “who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” which is glorification…

    Am I way off here?

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment