SALVATION MORE THAN HEAVENLY

SALVATION IS ETERNAL SECURITY

Sunday, August 17, 2014

 

  I don’t know about all of you, but I need to be re-reminded of the truth. One of the things God’s Word does is just this. Or haven’t you noticed that in reading the Bible you think “Didn’t I just read that?” or “Why do some of God’s penman repeat themselves so much?”

  In case you haven’t noticed, I do a lot of repeating . . . and am sometimes called on it.

  Today I yet again with a question and common answer heard.

  “Define salvation?”

  Summing up the common response: “I was going to hell, trusting Jesus, now going to heaven when I die.”

  Just in case this is your narrow hindering mindset, please understand there is much more than being heaven-bound.

  From Scofield Study Bible footnote.

 

“Salvation” The Hebrew, and (Greek, "sōtēria", meaning "safety", "preservation", "healing", and "soundness"). Salvation is the great inclusive word of the Gospel, gathering into itself all the redemptive acts and processes: as justification, redemption, grace, propitiation, imputation, forgiveness, sanctification, and glorification. Salvation is in three tenses:

 

(1) The believer has been saved from the guilt and penalty of sin (Luk_7:50); (1Co_1:18); (2Co_2:15); (Eph_2:5); (Eph_2:8); (2Ti_1:9) and is safe.

 

(2) the believer is being saved from the habit and dominion of sin (Rom_6:14); (Phi_1:19); (Phi_2:12); (Phi_2:13); (2Th_2:13); (Rom_8:2); (Gal_2:19); (Gal_2:20); (2Co_3:18).

 

(3) The believer is to be saved in the sense of entire conformity to Christ. (Rom_13:11); (Heb_10:36); (1Pe_1:5); (1Jo_3:2).

 

Salvation is by grace through faith, is a free gift, and wholly without works; (Rom_3:27); (Rom_3:28); (Rom_4:1-8); (Rom_6:23); (Eph_2:8).

 

The divine order is: first, salvation, then, works; (Eph_2:9); (Eph_2:10); (Tit_3:5-8).

 

  Salvation means going to heaven? Yes, but going to heaven is eventual result by death or rapture of God’s gracious absolutely safe and sound preservation; believers are forgiven, presently eternally secure! And a here and now meanwhile work in progress.

  “God lives in those who declare that Jesus is the Son of God, and they live in God. We have known and believed that God loves us. God is love. Those who live in God's love live in God, and God lives in them. God's love has reached its goal in us. So we look ahead with confidence to the day of judgment. While we are in this world, we are exactly like him with regard to love. No fear exists where his love is. Rather, perfect love gets rid of fear, because fear involves punishment. The person who lives in fear doesn't have perfect love.” (GW 1Jn.4:15-18)  EBB4