Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us (2 Cor. 1:10).
No wonder the great apostle had faith in his Savior--the One who had delivered, was delivering, and would deliver. That same trust may be ours. There are really three tenses to salvation. We have been saved, we are being saved, we shall be saved. Through our Savior's sacrificial atonement upon the cross we have been saved, justified from our sins. "By grace are ye saved through faith" (Eph. 2:8). Today we should be growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3:18). God works in us "both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). In this sense we are being saved from sin day by day. In the fullest sense, which includes glorification, we are yet to be saved at the appearing of our Lord. This is for those "who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:5). This is the end, or object, of our faith (verse 9). This is the salvation of which we are heirs (Heb. 1:14) and for which our Savior appears the second time (Heb. 9:28).
See this picture: A house is burning. In it is a very valuable violin, a Stradivarius. A music lover, knowing that it is there, rushes in at the risk of his life and saves it. That is salvation. But the violin is seriously damaged. It is taken to an expert, who with infinite care repairs it, for he knows its value. That also is salvation. The violin is saved from the fire and saved from its wounds. Now a great violinist takes it, tunes it, draws the bow over its strings, and it speaks to our hearts. That is the complete salvation of the violin, for it is restored to its intended usefulness.
Our threefold salvation is about to be accomplished in the second coming of Christ, the great Deliverer. Today and tomorrow and forever He is able to save us.
MEDITATION PRAYER: "Let thy mercies come also unto me, O Lord, even thy salvation, according to thy word" (Ps. 119:41).
No wonder the great apostle had faith in his Savior--the One who had delivered, was delivering, and would deliver. That same trust may be ours. There are really three tenses to salvation. We have been saved, we are being saved, we shall be saved. Through our Savior's sacrificial atonement upon the cross we have been saved, justified from our sins. "By grace are ye saved through faith" (Eph. 2:8). Today we should be growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3:18). God works in us "both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). In this sense we are being saved from sin day by day. In the fullest sense, which includes glorification, we are yet to be saved at the appearing of our Lord. This is for those "who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:5). This is the end, or object, of our faith (verse 9). This is the salvation of which we are heirs (Heb. 1:14) and for which our Savior appears the second time (Heb. 9:28).
See this picture: A house is burning. In it is a very valuable violin, a Stradivarius. A music lover, knowing that it is there, rushes in at the risk of his life and saves it. That is salvation. But the violin is seriously damaged. It is taken to an expert, who with infinite care repairs it, for he knows its value. That also is salvation. The violin is saved from the fire and saved from its wounds. Now a great violinist takes it, tunes it, draws the bow over its strings, and it speaks to our hearts. That is the complete salvation of the violin, for it is restored to its intended usefulness.
Our threefold salvation is about to be accomplished in the second coming of Christ, the great Deliverer. Today and tomorrow and forever He is able to save us.
MEDITATION PRAYER: "Let thy mercies come also unto me, O Lord, even thy salvation, according to thy word" (Ps. 119:41).
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