Three Kinds of Salvation
1. Justification Through the Forgiveness of Sins
"Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures," (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son." (John 3:18)
According to these passages, Christ died for our sins. Those who believe in this truth are justified and released from condemnation. Otherwise, if we still die for our sins, then Christ's death would be meaningless. Therefore, those who believe in the Son are already justified from condemnation " For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
" He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time..." (2 Timothy 1:9)
"He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit," (Titus 3:5)
" For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13-14)
In these passages, salvation is already complete. It is received only through faith.
2. Salvation from the Power of Sin
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12)
In this passage, it is said that we should "continue to work out your salvation," indicating that salvation can be achieved through human effort. However, other passages reveal that man cannot save himself (Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5).
Therefore, what does the statement "continue to work out your salvation" mean?
That statement refers to living a Christian life. How can one be saved? One must be saved by listening to God's Word and fearing the Lord. From where will one be saved? One must be saved from the power of sin and the way of living according to the flesh, or following personal desires.
3 Redemption from the World of Sin
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5).
In the aforementioned verses, the main focus is on the inheritance. This inheritance pertains to life and is free from decay, corruption, and weakness. The text explains that we are made new again so that we may experience this inheritance. Being made new refers to being born again (born anew). In order for us to be born again, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. This inheritance will not manifest now but will be realized in the last days. The last days refer to the time of the rapture or entering heaven. At that point, experiencing this inheritance is referred to as salvation. However, this salvation does not imply being saved from sin; instead, it denotes the experience of inheriting God's promises. Therefore, this salvation is still in the future.
Moreover, we who have received the grace of the Spirit also long for the redemption of our bodies, and in our hearts we groan, waiting for this deliverance.
"We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." (Romans 8:22-25)
In this passage, it states that we yearn for the redemption of our bodies, and that this redemption is referred to as being glorified in the body. Even though we have faith in Christ, we still do not experience the redemption of our bodies. This redemption awaits us in the future, and therefore, we are saved by hope, eagerly anticipating it. That salvation will be realized on the day of resurrection.
"Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." (Roman 13:11). Here, this salvation does not refer to the day of being delivered from sin --- also known as being born-again. If this salvation referred to being born-again, there would be no need to say it is nearer. So "when we first believe" refers to the day of our born-again experience and from that day onward, we're expecting our bodily salvation. In short, when you're born-again, you're saved spiritually, but there's another day we're looking forward to from that day: our bodily deliverance.
"So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord." (1 Corinthians 5:4-5)
Here, Paul decides that the one who has sinned against the wife of his father should be handed over to the power of darkness. Handing someone over to the power of darkness does not mean physical death; it refers to being excluded from the church. The reason is that Christ rules within the church while Satan rules outside of it. When a person commits such sin, they are removed from the church and thus do not experience Christ's protection but instead suffer under the rule of Satan, learning a lesson in this way. His spirit will be delivered, but his body will be destroyed by the power of darkness. However, on the day of the Lord Jesus, which is also known as the Day of Resurrection, his body too will be delivered.
"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14)
When a person believes in Christ, God gives them the Holy Spirit as a deposit. This deposit is not complete; it is only a part of what will be given fully later. Believers receive the Holy Spirit partially when they believe, but they will fully experience Him on the Day of Resurrection.
Hope for Bodily Salvation
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. (1 Thessalonians 5:8)
In this context, salvation refers to bodily salvation. The reason is that spiritual salvation has already been completed in the past, while bodily salvation is something we look forward to.
