Are You Saved
Salvation is a central theme of the Bible, because God desires that every one of us be saved from sin (Luke 19:10; Romans 5:8; 1 Timothy 2:4). What is your understanding of this important doctrine.
A finished work in the past. If you have placed faith in Christ's finished work on the Cross for your sins, then you have been saved (past tense). From that moment on, your eternal destiny was secure, because Christ's atonement has made you righteous, or free to stand before God without guilt or penalty for your sins. To use Paul's word, you have been "justified" (Romans 5:1, 8-9). That is, a complete one-time work of God's grace has transformed you from condemned sinner to a righteous child of God. That's why Paul could tell the Philippian jailer to believe on the Lord Jesu Christ, and he would be saved (Acts 16:31).
An ongoing process in the present. Have you ever wondered how you can be saved from sin, yet still sin? The Christians at Rome struggled with this problem (Romans 6:1-2), and so did Paul (7:15-20). Like him, you may cry out to be set free from ongoing sin (7:24). Again, Christ's atonement provides the answer (8:1-3). Furthermore, the Holy Spirit provides grace and power to overcome temptation and deal with what comes your way (Romans 5:3-5), 6;12-14; 8:2, 9-17). Thus, as you trust Christ on a daily basis, you are being saved (present tense) in the midst of trials and temptations. This lifelong process, called "sanctification", involves the development of a holy lifestyle (Titus 2:11-14). Whereas justification saves you from the penalty of sin (eternal death), sanctification saves you from the power of sin, so that you become more and more like Christ.
A hope to hold on to in the future. In describing salvation, the Book of Romans looks ahead to an ultimate outcome. Paul says that you will be "glorified" with Christ (Romans 8:17). That is, you will be saved (future tense) in the sense that you will be completely perfected when you finally stand before God. You will be fully delivered from the judgment, removed from sin's presence, restored to the image and likeness of God in which you were created, and will enter into eternal life with God. This is the eternal dimension of salvation called te believer's hope of glory (5:2; 8:18, Eph. 1:18; Col. 1:27).
Following Christ involves all three dimensions of salvation. By faith we have been saved from God's wrath, are being set free from sin, and look forward to being made complete in Christ when we go to be with Him. Are you celebrating these ways in which you are the beneficiary of the salvation that God has provided?
Taken from "The Word in Life Study Bible" published by Thomas Nelson Publishers
Greater Ebenezer Baptist Church
