ARE WE SAVED NOW or STILL BEING SAVED?
Traditional Christianity teaches that we are now saved. And, coming from “the elect”, this may take a willing suspension of disbelief. To their peril, some preachers even extended the concept to now “once saved, always saved”’(1), (2).
Accordingly, no one can lose salvation, so they say. But, then how could we already have been saved when we are still in our “flesh-composed bodies”? The answer lies in our understanding of what salvation really is and what “born again” means. Please access this link for hermeneutics on the subject of salvation and born again: (3),(4).
Because we are currently “flesh-composed“, we have “expiration date” from which death we will be resurrected from. This is the first death which is reversible. Those who died will participate in the “first or second resurrection” and their death can be called “sleep“, meaning temporary.
Essentially, salvation is defined as and referred to “saved from eternal/2nd death”(5) or attainment of “immortality” having been changed “in a twinkling of an eye” into “spirit-composed body”. Being”born-again” has achieved this goal. Obviously, no man has attained this state except the “man Jesus”, hence called “trailblazer/author/captain/source/pioneer” of our salvation.
He is the only human who was resurrected with “immortal body” as a path (way) and a “trail blazed” for all humans, the “first of the firstfruits”(Ezekiel 44:30;1 Corinthians 15:20), the “wave sheaf offering” (Leviticus 23:11).
What does “saved” then refers to?
Everything about the use of the word “saved” is about “how” we are saved; not timing of salvation.
Saved by faith now is a mechanism of salvation and in fact has been established from the beginning. But salvation per se is still future, when our mortal flesh-composed body has been changed in a ”twinkling of an eye” to a “spirit-composed body “. “Death where is thy sting?” is relevant only after resurrection where it will have “no sting”. We are indeed “saved from eternal/2nd death”.
Can we lose our salvation?
The way or mechanism of “saved by faith” still holds. But our salvation can be lost since we do not have “immortal bodies” yet. Only Jesus has “immortal body”, being the “first of the firstfruits”. As such, his salvation is secured and cannot be lost. What we do not have, we can not lose. But, we will have salvation in the future. Paul’s advice was: “work out your own salvation“(Philippians 2:12). “Work out” suggests “towards the future” and not “now”. In the ” book of life“, a person written there, still”can be removed”(Exodus 32:33; Revelations 22:19). See also the principle laid out in Matthew 25:14-30.
Mechanism of salvation
Jesus’ faith was what initiated salvation. It was the “faith of Jesus” (Galatians 2:16 KJV) in the Father that what was promised to him would be fulfilled. As promised, YHVH/ElShaddai was incarnated into a “man-Jesus Christ(1Timothy 2:5) whose death was accounted and imputed by the Father to all mankind as he had also reckoned all mankind as sinners because of Adam’s sin. As Paul said, “one man sinned…all sinned” and on death… “one man’s death accounted for all”(Romans 5).
This is the law of evidenced-based faith (Hebrews 11:1) towards our reconciliation with the Father, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, all promised while we “were yet sinners”(Romans 5:8). However, it was “works/fruits of the Holy Spirit” that brought reward (See gift/reward) of resurrection towards immortality for man-Jesus. Same track will other humans go through, including suffering, of having faith and good works through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. As Jesus was “perfected through suffering”, so shall we suffer in overcoming the “pull of the flesh” for our sanctification.
Summary
For by “grace are we saved through faith”(Ephesians 2:8) is the mechanism, then and now, by which we are saved. But, the actual salvation is still future because it requires a process of “being saved”. Now, we are not yet “saved” and what we don’t have we cannot lose now. The only human that reached immortality, free from eternal/2nd death, was “man-Jesus Christ” who has shown “the way, the truth and the life”(John 14:6). He is indeed the “trailblazer, pioneer, captain leader and author of our salvation”(Hebrews 2:10)
Jesus (YHVH/El Shaddai in Genesis) created us all as a template, a “temple” for the Holy Spirit to in-dwell at an “appointed time and chance”(Ecclesiastes 9:11). We are alive are still undergoing a process of “being saved”(6).
The actual salvation is when we are “born again” at resurrection and “spirit-composed in a twinkling of an eye” reflected in Revelations as a product of the “woman/church in labor towards delivery.”(Revelations 12:2). Having been delivered, we will be “spirit-composed” bodily, thus, immortality. At that time, indeed, “Where,O death is thy sting?”(1 Corinthians 15:5).
God Bless😇🙏
Original post: March 5, 2019.
Dedicated to my parents who “passed on” and are now “asleep“, waiting for their resurrection like others who died. We will surely see them in the “next life”.
Please tap on hyperlinks for references.
Critique is welcome at foundationacts@yahoo.com after reading all for context.
References:
1. Once saved always saved? Retrieved 2/2/19 from http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/201203/201203_070_Once_saved_always_saved.cfm
2. Once saved always saved, teaching refuted. Retrieved 2/2/19 from http://www.christianissues.biz/pdf-bin/miscellaneous/charlesstanley_oncesaved.pdf
3. Salvation Series 1. Retrieved 2/2/19 from http://fact-s.net/2015/10/04/salvation-series-1what/
??4. Born Again, how and when? Retrieved 2/2/19 from http://fact-s.net/2019/02/22/born-again-how-and-when/
5. Death, What is ? Retrieved 2/2/19 from http://fact-s.net/2018/12/06/death-what-is-2/
6. Ongoing Creation. Retrieved 2/3/19 from http://fact-s.net/2018/06/30/ongoing-creation/
Original Post: 3/5/19
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