An previous story is advised about Brooke Foss Westcott, the final bishop of Durham within the nineteenth century. Certainly one of his clerical buddies was touring on a prepare and was requested by a Salvation Military officer, “Are you saved?” Curious to know the way Bishop Westcott would have responded, the good friend relayed the query. The bishop paused, smiled, and basically answered, “Do you imply have I been saved, am I being saved, or will I be saved?”
Bishop Westcott’s assertion teaches what we all know to be true from the Bible: Salvation has completely different tenses. In Christ, we have been saved from sin’s penalty, we are being saved from sin’s energy, and we might be saved one day from sin’s presence.
The work of God in saving sinners is much extra dynamic than many people understand. Put merely, it offers with previous, current, and future occasions. Salvation in Christ entails an everlasting objective, an ongoing course of, and a future promise. The New Testomony attests to every of those three dimensions.
Salvation’s Everlasting Function
The apostle Paul summed up salvation’s objective properly in his letter to the Romans, wherein he wrote,
We all know that for individuals who love God all issues work collectively for good, for individuals who are referred to as in keeping with his objective. For these whom he foreknew he additionally predestined to be conformed to the picture of his Son, so that he may be the firstborn amongst many brothers. (Rom. 8:28–29, emphasis added)
We’re saved, in different phrases, to be made like Jesus. To “conform” is to form or to mould one thing right into a recognizable type. Christians, then, are those that, by God’s energy, are being formed to replicate the distinct, recognizable character of Christ.
We all know from expertise that we change into like the corporate we hold. Spouses typically come to share the identical mannerisms. Associates sometimes share comparable values and passions. And so God’s youngsters, nurtured by His Phrase and sanctifying work, change into like He who’s “the firstborn amongst many brothers.”
Christians have been saved from sin’s penalty, are being saved from sin’s energy, and might be saved someday from sin’s presence.
(The aim in verse 29, by the way, offers the context for the promise in verse 28. Once we learn that “for individuals who love God all issues work collectively for good,” we have to perceive it in gentle of how God defines our final “good”: conformity to Christ. Too typically, our personal private definitions of “good” are much more worldly—and fewer wonderful!—than what God has deliberate for us.)
This objective is wealthy with implications for us. As a result of God is all the time working to make us like Jesus, wherever we discover ourselves, we’re in a position to say, “Within the panorama of God’s redemptive functions, God is utilizing my circumstances to type Christlike qualities in me.” Because of this James writes, “Rely all of it pleasure, my brothers, while you meet trials of assorted sorts, for you already know that the testing of your religion produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full impact, that you could be be good and full, missing in nothing” (1:2–4).
We understand that in God’s plan, there are functions He accomplishes in struggling that aren’t achieved some other means. If we need to be like Jesus, it follows that we are going to endure with Him (Rom. 8:17). However whether or not in trials or triumphs, we might be sure that God is conforming us into the picture of His Son.
In God’s plan, there are functions He accomplishes in struggling that aren’t achieved some other means.
God’s objective within the lives of His individuals leads us to say with the hymn author,
The work which His goodness started
The arm of His power will full;
His promise is Yea and Amen
And by no means was forfeited but.
Salvation’s Ongoing Course of
If salvation’s objective is conformity to Christ, then how does God truly convey that objective about? Paul provides us a sign elsewhere in his letters:
The Lord is the Spirit, and the place the Spirit of the Lord is, there’s freedom. And all of us, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being remodeled into the identical picture from one diploma of glory to a different. For this comes from the Lord who’s the Spirit. (2 Cor. 3:17–18, emphasis added)
If God’s final objective for us is to make us like Jesus, then His objective at this time is to proceed the method—for it is a course of. Paul clearly asserts that actuality when he writes in verse 17 that we “are being remodeled”—a gift steady verb—“into the identical picture” of Christ.
The work of God’s Sprit is to show our gaze towards Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). And as we have a look at Christ, we start to look like Him. By gazing at Jesus, we’re additional remodeled by the glory revealed within the Gospel itself: that He died in our place, releasing us not solely from sin’s penalty but in addition from its dominion.
The continued technique of salvation entails each an lively and a passive dimension. Our half is to behold the glory of the Lord; God’s half is to remodel us into the picture of Christ. In brief, it’s by the Gospel that we make progress. By seeing the fantastic life Jesus lived (and lives!), we more and more behave how Jesus did and develop in our zeal for the Lord’s glory.
As we have a look at Christ, we start to appear to be Him.
Within the Gospel, we do not forget that God makes us proper with Him not on account of one thing achieved by us however on account of one thing achieved for us. We don’t look inside to be made like Christ; we glance outdoors of ourselves and to Christ. Paul summarizes the lively and passive dimensions of this transformation finest in his letter to the Philippians: “Work out your salvation with worry and trembling, for it’s God who works in you, each to will and to work for his good pleasure” (2:12–13).
Salvation’s Future Promise of Salvation
Lastly, one other apostle, John, helps us perceive higher how the salvation that God functions and accomplishes carries with it a future promise:
Beloved, we’re God’s youngsters now, and what we might be has not but appeared; however we all know that when he seems we will be like him, as a result of we will see him as he’s. (1 John 3:2)
John’s phrases describe for us an immense consolation: Regardless of all our stumbling and failings this aspect of eternity, we have now the promise of salvation—that when Christ seems, we might be like Him.
Once we learn John’s promise along with Paul, we all know that our future salvation entails not solely being like Christ but in addition being with Him in eternity (Phil. 3:21). Paul anticipates us being like Jesus; John appears to be like ahead to us being with Jesus. Each realities are true for the Christian.
Once we take into account salvation in its three dimensions—previous, current, and future—we acknowledge that the decision of Christianity is to change into what we already are in Christ. Mere ethics is an invite to change into what we’re not. Salvation causes us to change into what we’re by advantage of our union with the crucified and resurrected Jesus.
As we anticipate the promise of our future salvation, we might do properly to make the lyrics of this Anglican hymn our prayer:
I want to be like Jesus,
So humble and so sort.
His phrases had been all the time tender,
His voice all the time divine.
However no, I’m not like Jesus,
As anybody can see.
O Savior, come and assist me,
And make me similar to Thee.
This text was tailored from the sermon “Be Like Christ” by Alistair Begg.
