EXPERIENCING THE FULLNESS OF SALVATION
The term
“Salvation is derived from Latin word “Salvare” meaning to save and “Salus”
meaning health, Hebrew word “Yshua” meaning safety, and Greek word “Soteria”
meaning redemption. Hence the Latin,
Hebrew and Greek words for salvation imply the idea of deliverance, safety, and
preservation.
“Salvation”
is a comprehensive term including within its scope many aspects. It is the great inclusive word of the gospel
gathering into itself all the redemptive acts and processes namely
Justification, Regeneration, Redemption, Sanctification, Christian Growth,
Fruit of the Spirit, Glorification, and the Final Glory.
Salvation
in a broad sense is connected with soul, spirit, and body. There is Salvation of the soul in
Regeneration, of the spirit in Sanctification and of the body in
Glorification. There is Salvation from
the penalty of sin, from the power of sin, and the presence of sin. Therefore, there is Salvation form the past,
in the present, and for the future.
Hence, salvation is spoken of in three tenses – past, present, and
future. All these three tenses are summed
up in II Corinthians 1: 10 - Who delivered us (past tense) from so great a
death and doth deliver (present tense) in whom we trust that he will (future
tense) yet deliver us.
THE PAST TENSE OF
SALVATION
Who
hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works,
but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began (II Tim. 1: 9). We have been
saved from the penalty of sin. This
tense of Salvation has to do with the soul (Heb. 10: 39).
Thy
faith has saved thee
(Luke 7: 50). By grace have ye been
saved through faith (Eph. 2: 8). …According
to his mercy he saved us (Titus 3: 5).
All these passages speak of Salvation as a work finished in the
past. In this sense the Salvation of the
believer is complete. There is
justification – being made just before God (
It
is under this tense of Salvation that we are to classify the passages that
speak of the believer as possessing that eternal life now: John 5: 24, 6: 47, 17: 2-3; I John 5: 11-13. This means as expressed in John 5: 24, that
the believer has passed from under all danger of condemnation and the second
death. It is thus possessive.
THE PRESENT TENSE OF
SALVATION
The
word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness but unto us who are saved (are being saved) it is the power
of God (I Cor. 1: 18). Work out
your own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2: 12). We are being saved from the power of
sin. This tense of Salvation has to do
with the Spirit (I Cor. 5: 5).
There
are passages which refer to the present process of Salvation such as Rom. 6:
14, Gal. 2: 19-20, and II Cor. 3: 18, denoting the act of being in progress,
being saved. There is sanctification –
the process of being set apart (Rom. 15: 16); Christian growth (I Thess. 4:
1-12); Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5: 22-24; Phil. 2: 4-14). In the present tense of Salvation, believers
are being saved through the work of the indwelling spirit from the power of
sin. It is thus, progressive.
THE FUTURE TENSE OF
SALVATION
(Rom.
13: 11, 5: 9-10, 8: 24; Eph. 1: 13-14; I Thess. 5: 8; Heb. 10: 36; I Peter 1:
5; I John 3: 2-3) In all these passages,
Salvation is also spoken of as something yet future. We will be saved from the presence of
sin. This tense of Salvation has to do
with the body.
Paul
tells us in Romans 8: 23 what this future Salvation is. It is the “redemption of our body” by which
he means the application of redemption to the believer’s body. This will take place in the resurrection of
those who sleep in Christ (I Cor. 15: 52-56; I Thess. 4: 16), and in the
rapture of those who are alive at Christ’s coming in the air (I Thess. 4:
17). It is only then that the
regenerated spirit will enter into the full fruition of salvation. Thus we read that the spirit is to be saved
in the day of the Lord Jesus (I Cor. 5: 5).
This tense of Salvation has to do mainly with the body and the presence
of sin in the body. There is
Glorification – the final change into the incorruptible body (I Cor. 15:
51-58), and the Final Glory (II Cor. 3: 18).
It is thus prospective.
Therefore
Salvation in all its tenses and phrases is of the Lord. Paul gives us God’s
method of work in Salvation from beginning to end in Philippians 1: 6, 2:
13. He begins the work of Salvation and
He carries it on to its consummation. All
along the line He works in us – both to do His will and to do His good
pleasure. Moreover, it is all by grace
through faith (Rom. 1: 17). Thus, we
have the beautiful harmony that exists between all the passages that touch on
the subject of Salvation. There is no
conflict between these passages. They
refer to different phases of Salvation.
Hence,
man’s experience of Salvation has a threefold aspect. It is past, present, and future. It is thus possessive, progressive, and
prospective.
Copyright(c) 2005 Dr. Joseph Paturi. All rights reserved.