for him, you too are saved, if you hold the word as I have preached to you, unless you have believed in vain (1 Corinthians 15:2).
Every doctrine within the Christian faith must be sustained in balance; whenever we overestimate the importance of truth to the point of obscuring or neglecting others, we put ourselves in a dangerous situation; however, it is impossible to exaggerate or overestimate the preeminence of There is no way to be too extreme with the gospel. This truth can be seen in the fact that the gospel is God’s greatest revelation to humanity, and it is the only message by which one can be saved. it is the only message to which we must adhere tenaciously. Although any small deviation from biblical truth is dangerous, we can be confused with several things without endangering our eternal destiny; However, to be wrong about the gospel is to be wrong about everything. The importance of the gospel is not to fully understand it!
- In our text.
- The phrase “Are you saved? It is translated from a verb in the present that describes both “a process and a future reality”[1].
- This can be translated as:” by him.
- You are saved.
- ” It is important to note that the scriptures describe salvation in three stages: past.
- Present.
- And future.
- Ignoring one of these moments or aspects of salvation will lead us to have a distorted or sick view of salvation as a whole.
- God saved the believer from condemnation of sin.
- This happened at the time of conversion.
- When the Christian believed in God’s testimony of the gospel and was considered righteous.
- [2] The scriptures generally refer to this as a justification.
- [3].
In the present, the believer is saved from the power of sin. It is a gradual process known in the New Testament as progressive sanctification. The believer is the work of God, and God works in him both voluntarily and by acting, according to divine goodwill. [4] Through the Word and the Spirit, through trials and tribulations, blessings, and discipline, God transforms the believer and conforms his life to the image of Jesus Christ. [5]
In the future, the believer will be saved completely and eternally from the power and presence of sin. This last step is commonly referred to as glorification and is as safe as others because the one who initiated the right work will complete it [6]. As the Apostle Paul declares and is known as the golden thread of salvation: “We know that all things contribute to the good of those who love God, of those who are called according to his plan. He also predestined them to conform to the image of his Son, that he may be the firstborn among many brethren; and those he predestined, he also called them; and those he called, he also justified; and justified them, which he also glorified. [7]
We live in a time when temporal and trivial are so high that it should not be given to God’s people; we desire these momentary pleasures as if they really deserved such affections; However, we must cling to a truth: the great promise of life. The gospel is salvation. All other promises and benefits pale in comparison to this one thing: the gospel is God’s power for salvation, and whoever invokes the name of the Lord will be saved. [8]
According to the Apostle Peter, salvation is the end or purpose of the believer’s faith. [This is the goal behind all that Christ has done for his people, and it must be the great desire and purpose to which the believer aspires. God cannot give any greater gift, and the believer cannot have any hope or motivation greater than ultimate salvation through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
[1] David E. Garland, 1 Corinthians, Baker’s exegrestic commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003), 682.
Excerpt from the book 3rd chapter of the book “The Power and the Gospel Message?From Paul Washer, which will be published by Faithful Editor. We had the opportunity to translate it and the privilege of being able to share with you brief excerpts from each chapter. .
Translation: Vin-cius Musselman Pimentel. Un revised or modified version. Published with permission.
© Faithful Editor. All rights reserved. Original: A Gospel For Which We Are Saved (Paul Washer) [3/26]
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