The Tenses of Salvation
Isaiah 45:17
But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
The salvation that is of God is an everlasting salvation and it is according to the terms of the everlasting covenant: “He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations” (Psalm 105:8). It was settled upon in the everlasting covenant in eternity past: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2). The everlasting covenant is according to the will, purpose and grace of God in His sovereign rule of all things: “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased” (Psalm115:3). God determined in Himself to do whatsoever seemed good in His sight, as our Lord Jesus Christ said: “Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight” (Matthew 11:26). And the everlasting covenant of grace is sealed by the blood of the everlasting covenant, which is the blood of Christ who called it the blood of the New Testament: “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant” (Hebrews 13:20).
In the covenant a Mediator was appointed who would occupy many offices, such as the Surety of the covenant or the New Testament: as it is written: “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament” (Hebrews 7:22). And Christ Jesus said “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). The Great High Priest of the covenant was appointed concerning whom: “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4). And in the 89th Psalm it is written: “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David (that is Christ Jesus: writer). His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah” (Psalm 89:34-37). The subjects of the kingdom of God’s Dear Son were chosen in eternity past, being those who The LORD had loved without beginning, and their names are written in the Lambs book of Life, as it is written: “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). And again: “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22-24). And it is written: “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life” (Revelation 21:27). The everlasting Salvation of God has always been. It is as old as God Himself, in fact it is God Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, “who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen” (Romans 9:5; see I Timothy 3:16; Acts 20:28; Hebrews 13:8; Colossians 1:15-18; John10:30).
Since Christ Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, He has the same members without any change whatsoever. The members of His body have never changed or been replaced because He has never changed. And Since God the Father chose the members of Christ to salvation in Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world, those members are saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation, (Ephesians 1:3-6; II Thessalonians 2:13). God hath (first) saved us and (second) called us, the order of progression is significant in this verse of Holy Scripture, as it is written: “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; who 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” (II Timothy 1:8-9). God’s purpose and grace were given to us before the world began, and we may truly say we are saved with an everlasting salvation and we were saved when God chose us in Christ Jesus, and our names were written in the Lamb’s book of life. We may say that we were saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation before the world was made. Choosing of persons to eternal life and writing their names in the Lamb’s book of life are anthropomorphisms. Each of those things was not related to time and action as men know them. Our God is the same at all times, and never finds new information, counsels or covenants. Our God never learns anything He did not know before, for His knowledge is perfect and eternal because He is intrinsically perfect and eternal in all His essential attributes. All of our God’s essential attributes conform to His nature, as it is written: “..your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
Christians are saved with an everlasting salvation. And we are being saved. Christians are being kept from falling away through faith, as it is written: “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude 1:24-25). Christians are preserved in Jesus Christ, that is they are kept safe from the enemy of the souls of men. Those enemies are their own evil nature in their flesh, the world and Satan. As it is written: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thessalonians 5:23). And again it is written: “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called” (Jude I: I; see I Corinthians 1:2: Romans 11:4). As it was stated above, Christians are being kept by faith, as it is written: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (I Peter 1:5).
Christians have been saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation from eternity past. Christians are being saved in our Lord Jesus Christ who keeps us through faith. And we shall be saved at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then we shall be totally without sin in our persons, we shall no longer have the struggle with indwelling sin. We shall be perfectly conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, as it is written: “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but 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” (Romans 8:22-23). And again in the same chapter: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth” (Romans 8:28-33). “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21).
This is because of their God given interest in the everlasting covenant which is made effectual to by the blood of Christ. And they are called with an effectual call because they are sanctified and preserved. The call is mentioned last of all because it is the last in the order of the nature of God’s dealing with His elect even though it is the first thing that the children of the covenant experience. “Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved” (Psalm 80:7). Our God turns those whom He has saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation according to His own eternal and immutable will, purpose and grace. As it is written by the prophet Jeremiah: “I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth” (Jeremiah 31:18-19).
AJ Ison
See the writer’s blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com hear the true gospel preached at www.13thstbaptist.org webcasting live at listed service times.
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