THERE are millions of people in this world who do not know what it is to be saved, but they all hope to be saved.
Then there are others who will tell you that they hope they are saved. There are others who believe that they are saved, but who say that they are only saved so long as they believe; and, lastly, there is a fourth class who if asked whether they are saved humbly reply, “By the grace of God !;” and if asked for how long, readily answer, “Forever! my salvation is as secure as God in His love and power could possibly make it.”
As to the first class, they being in their sins, in Adam, out of Christ, on the road to “ETERNAL JUDGMENT,” ready for it, and deserving it, God says that such are without Christ, having no hope, and without God in the world. The second class are Christ-less religionists, who are clutching as with deathless grip the oil-less lamp of an empty, formal profession; or they may be badly instructed, having been taught that it is humility to hope and presumption to know—the teachers of such do cause them to err; God has a word for them, as they will see before they finish reading this paper.
The third class, who say that they are saved, but that their salvation only lasts as long as they believe, do, without being aware of it, give the whole credit of their salvation to their faith, instead of to Christ.
If persons are only saved whilst they believe, suppose they were to die when they were asleep, what would become of them, for they are not believing then? And now we will examine the belief of the fourth class in the light of Scripture.
First, they tell us that they are saved; and, secondly, that their salvation lasts forever. SALVATION is looked at in three ways in Scripture: first, as something we possess upon believing in Christ; secondly, as something we are getting nearer to every day; and lastly, as something that we shall get at the end of the path of faith.
A few Scriptures will soon make these points quite clear.
When the Philippian jailor cried, “What must I do to be saved?” he was told, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Paul said to the Ephesians, “By grace ye are saved;” and the same apostle in his second general epistle to Timothy says, “Who hath, saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” And in his epistle to Titus he says, speaking of salvation, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.”
Once more Peter says, in his first epistle, “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation, of your souls.” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31); Eph. 2:55Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ephesians 2:5); 2 Tim. 1:99Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, (2 Timothy 1:9); Titus 3:55Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (Titus 3:5); 1 Peter 1:99Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:9).) All these Scriptures show that salvation is a present thing, not obtainable by our works, but received by faith.
Then as to the second aspect of salvation, we are looked at as getting nearer to it every step we take; for “now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Rom. 13:1111And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. (Romans 13:11)): this refers to the salvation of the body. We are also exhorted to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling; mark you well we are not told to work for salvation, but to work out that which is already our own. (Phil. 2:12, 1312Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12‑13).)
The third aspect of salvation puts it as something to be hoped for, something that we shall not get until the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ: “Ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” (Rom. 8:2323And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:23).) “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.” (Phil. 3:20, 2120For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:20‑21).) This will be the consummation of salvation.
Now even Christians have to bear about in their bodies the marks of the dishonor that sin has done to God in this world, but then we shall have bodies free from sin, disease, ache, or pain. “It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory.” (1 Cor. 15:4343It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: (1 Corinthians 15:43).) Faith is connected with the salvation, of the soul, which is instantaneous upon believing in the person and work of Christ; hope is connected with the salvation of the body, which all true believers will have at the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And this salvation is an eternal one, of which Christ is the author, to all who having trusted Him are now found obeying Him.
We are saved, not by our obedience, but to obey. “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost [or evermore] that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth, to make intercession for them.” (Heb. 7:2525Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25).) “Because I live ye shall live also.” (John 14:1919Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. (John 14:19).) Christ died to save us, He lives to take care of us, and He is coming to glorify us.
It is most clear, from the blessed array of connected Scripture which we have adduced, that salvation is to be possessed NOW; that we are to KNOW we are the present possessors of it; and that it is ETERNAL.
Many confound between salvation and the joy of it; now salvation itself never can be lost, but the joy of it is soon lost.
The psalmist said, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.” (Ps. 51:12.) He asked not to have salvation restored; for when once God gives it, He never takes it away again; what he asked and longed for was the joy of it.
A circumstance that occurred in telegraphy will illustrate this point. One friend wanted to send a telegram to another; when he handed it in at the office the telegraph operator said that he was unable to transmit the message, something having happened to the wire, and thus communication was interrupted, but he hoped to be able to send it on in an hour or so. A man was dispatched from each end of the wire to find out the cause of the obstruction; they met on the road, and found that a huge bough of a tree had been broken off by the violence of a storm, and had fallen across the wire, and the electric fluid had gone into the bough instead of traveling along the wire, A ladder and saw were obtained, the bough sawn from the tree and removed from the wire, and the wire straightened. This done, the operators signaled to each other, and the sentences were flashed from end to end at once. Communication was restored, and the message was transmitted. No new wire was needed, but the impediment to communication had to be removed. So likewise, though it is impossible to break the eternal wire of salvation, yet if its possessor sin and think lightly of it, or if he fail to confess it to his heavenly Father, he forfeits communion.
“If we” (saved persons) “confess our sins, He is faithful and just (to Christ) to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9).)
Are you saved, dear friend? If you are, it is by the grace of God, and you ought to know it and to thank God for it; and if you are saved, it is to wait for God’s Son from heaven, and to work for Him until He comes.
Oh, do not rest another hour without knowing that you are the present happy possessor of “ETERNAL SALVATION!”