THE THREE PHASES OF SALVATION
Article by Pastor O’femi Ogunyemi
When I hear people speak of losing salvation, it is a clear indication that their view of salvation is faulty. Such people view salvation as a singular, one time activity of God that must be carefully and fearfully kept, or you lose it. But salvation is not a singular, one time event. It is a chain of activities of God which began at the point a person comes to God by faith in Christ, continue through his life, and perfected at the return of Christ.
New Testament clearly identifies three phases of the believers’ salvation, using three tenses—past, present, and future tense, to distinguish them apart. Understanding this will allay our fears and relieve the pressure around the Christian’s security, and help us to rest in the efficaciousness of the grace of God, while at the same time pressing toward spiritual growth.
AN ACCOMPLISHED WORK 
The first phase of our salvation that New Testament identifies is an accomplished work, using the past tense. This denotes the works of salvation that God did to us when we first believed, where we were saved from the penalties of sin, both present and eternal, e.g. guilt, condemnation, shame, spiritual deadness, and eternal death. The actions of God here are put in past tense, indicating what has been done.
EPHESIANS 2:5:
“Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)”
God made us alive. Done!
2 TIMOTHY 1:9:
“Who has 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 to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”
God saved us and called us!
ROMANS 5:1, 9:
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ… 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! [NIV]
We have been justified, not being justified!
(For further study: Ephesians 1:13; 4:32; 1 John 2.12; 1 Corinthians 1.2; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 10:24; Romans 8:1, 37-39; 1 Peter 1:3-5.)
AN ONGOING WORK
New Testament also identifies a phase of our salvation which is ongoing. This denotes the phase of our salvation where we are being saved from the dominion of sin. We still have our flesh to contend with (Romans 7:14-24). Our spirit is born again, but the soul (mind, will, and emotion) is not. This (our soul), sin seeks to exploit to bring us under its dominion again.
So, in this ongoing phase of our salvation, God seeks to save our souls, to reconfigure our soul to the new life we are in. This is also referred to as our sanctification. The tense of the verbs used here is present continuous.
1 CORINTHIANS 1:18:
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
Note the “being saved”. It means that our salvation is still an ongoing project. In a sense, we have been perfectly saved. But in a sense, we are still being saved.
2 CORINTHIANS 2.15:
“For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”
1 JOHN 1.7:
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
This sanctification work is happening primarily by the activities of the indwelling Spirit of God, and secondarily, our cooperation with the Spirit of God. It is what we shall be rewarded for before Christ’s judgment seat.
(For further study: Romans 6:1-23; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:1-26; Philippians 2:12-13.)
A FUTURISTIC PERFECTION
Lastly, New Testament identifies a phase of our salvation which lies in the future. This describes the phase of our salvation that believers will have in the resurrection, at the return of our Savior, Lord and King, our Christ. We have been saved from the dire penalties of our sins. And, we are being saved from the governing power of sin now. But, someday, and soon, we shall be saved from the presence of sin, when sin and all that cause sin shall cease to be.
ROMANS 13:11:
“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”
1 PETER 1:5:
“We are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
1 JOHN 3:2:
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”
It is at this time that we shall be fully perfected. We will not reach perfection in this present world. We keep pressing toward the mark of the perfection for which Christ saved us. But we shall only attain to full perfection in a glorified body of resurrection (Philippians 3:12- 14). This is the blessed hope we are living for.
So, you see, salvation is not an event. It is a journey! We were saved when we believed the gospel of Christ. And, as we continue our walk of faith with God, we are being saved. But our full perfection lies in the future, when our Lord returns.
(To be continued.)
One Response
This is a wonderful exposition sir