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Christ’s Finished Work: Salvation

31 October 2023 blogpastor Leave a comment

For most Christians, the word “salvation” means the salvation of the soul from the wrath of God through the death and resurrection of Christ. However, with a careful reading of the Scriptures we find that this word is used for other things as well, such as being saved from physical drowning (Acts 27:31). We also discover that salvation has different shades of meaning depending on the context. Salvation is comprehensive and can be described in three dimensions: past, present and future tenses.

Past tense salvation

This first dimension of salvation is past tense: “I have been saved”. It refers to the moment when a person repents and puts his faith in Jesus Christ. When this happens, the person’s sins are all forgiven and he receives the gift of righteousness from God. The person is declared righteous before God. He is saved, delivered from the penalty of sin, which is a spiritual “death” (Romans 6:23a)– an alienation, distancing and separation from God.

This separation from God can extend beyond this earthly life into eternity unless the sinner repents and receives God’s offer of forgiveness of sins. Our falling short of God’s standard of holiness alienates us from God. It is Christ’s death on the cross that made possible the forgiveness of our sins, and made us righteous before God. We are no longer enemies of God. Our separation from God has been healed and bridged. We have been reconciled with God and find favour with him. We have been justified. This is salvation in the past tense.

We had not deserved it nor earned it. It was Christ’s finished work that saved us. We only need to exercise faith, and even this is a gift of God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Present tense salvation

The second dimension of salvation is present tense: “I am being saved”. It can be called sanctification. It refers to the believer’s growth in holiness and becoming more like Christ. While past-tense salvation frees us from the penalty of sin, present-tense salvation frees us from the power of sin in the believer’s day-to-day life in the world. William MacDonald, a bible scholar, puts it this way: “Although it is true I have been saved, it is equally true that I am being saved day by day. I have been saved from damnation; I am being saved from damage. I have been saved from the penalty of sin; I am being saved from the power of sin.”

This second dimension of salvation is a process of transformation by which the Spirit of God gradually frees us from sinful patterns of thought, lusts and behaviours and forms new desires, perspectives, values and behaviours in us. The goal of sanctification is that we are formed in the likeness of Christ. This requires us to yield to the workings of God in our life. “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).

Future tense salvation

Finally, there is a future dimension of salvation that is called glorification: “I will be saved”. The apostle Paul refers to this future dimension when he tells the Christians in Rome: “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11). The apostle spoke of the future salvation to be revealed at the end of this age: “To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power is being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5).

This salvation refers to a time in the future when the believer will be delivered or saved from the presence of sin altogether. It will happen at the end of this age when a final transformation will occur when we believers will receive our new glorified, resurrection bodies and live eternally in the presence of God free from the presence of all sin. “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3,4).

What a great and comprehensive salvation! Behold its breadth, height, length and depth! We were saved from the penalty of sins (past). We are being saved from the power of sin (present). And on Jesus’ return, we will finally be saved from the presence of sin (future). Contemplate the wisdom and plan of God. If salvation is only in the past tense, believers will still be bound in their old sinful patterns of unloving behaviour, a total disgrace to his name, a poor advertisement of God’s beauty and grace, and they will be without a future hope. However, God knows all believers need all three dimensions of salvation to live assured, fruitful, and godly for the kingdom of God.

Prayer

Dear Father, how vast and deep is your wisdom and plan of salvation! Thank you for sending Jesus to suffer and die for us so that we can experience all three dimensions of salvation. Transform us and do your mighty work in us until the day Christ returns in glory. Amen.

This is part of a planned series of writings on the topic, “The A to Z of Christ’s Finished Work”. I am writing it alphabet by alphabet. Thus far the others that I have written can be found HERE.

Instagram Reels: Follow The Spirit’s Lead

19 October 2023 blogpastor Leave a comment

It was a young man Zephaniah, who suggested to me that I try doing Instagram reels. Successful reels focus on a niche subject. I told him I would prayerfully consider his suggestion. As I prayed about it over a few weeks, I noticed an increase in faith and courage, an increase in desire and peace. Even inspiration and ideas were formed spontaneously.

I thought the one minute limitation for reels is actually so limiting. What can you say in one minute? Nothing substantial I’m sure. But this is a generation conditioned by Tik Tok to receive byte-sized content. People generally do not have patience for long talks. They are used to receiving content in brief, one minute sound bites. Usually it’s amusing or informative or seductive. I find these impossible to create. I am not humourous, nor detailed, and am not well-endowed!!

What can I talk about in one minute? – I do 40 minutes sermons! What niche subject do I talk about – I have no idea! I have set myself up for failure, with no end in mind, even before I have begun.

How do you make these reels? I thought I could begin it by faith, to begin small. If I use whatever skills and content I have, I will grow. It’s like if I start with five loaves and two fish, and put it in God’s hands, God can multiply it and feed the multitude. I’ll just do whatever and start with wherever I am. Talk about whatever I desire, or whatever I sense, or whatever inspirational insights that pop up.

I decided to start. I cannot figure out a lot of technical stuff, like how to embed Instagram reels into my blog site. Therefore, here is a sample of my feeble, amateurish start in this reel link HERE. Please do support me by liking, subscribing, and commenting. Most of all, pray for the reels I create to cheer up, build up, and stir up God’s people. Thank you so much.

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Israelis and Palestinians Are Brothers

14 October 2023 blogpastor Leave a comment

It is inhuman what these two nations are doing to each other. The massacre of infants, young and old civilians, without discrimination, in a cycle of revenge and hatred that gets fiercer and fiercer with each passing day. The tit for tat harks back to the 1900’s and the insistence of rights of both nations have been broadcasted endlessly in the mainstream media, and in more recent days, in social media. The war front has always been multifaceted and includes influencing the minds of millions of viewers in social media.

I lament this tragic feud between the descendants of the same family. The Palestinians (and Arabs) are descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham via Hagar his slave. The Jews are the descendants of Isaac, the son of Abraham via Sarah his wife. They are brothers.

There is some scientific evidence that points to the truth of the biblical story. It is not new. An interesting research in 2000 surfaced some stunning findings from DNA studies. “More than 70% of Jewish men and half of the Arab men whose DNA was studied inherited their Y chromosomes from the same paternal ancestors who lived in the region within the last few thousand years.” Ann Gibbons who authored this article in Science.org continued to report that: “The results match historical accounts that some Moslem Arabs are descended from Christians and Jews who lived in the southern Levant, a region that includes Israel and the Sinai. They were descendants of a core population that lived in the area since prehistoric times. And in a recent study of 1371 men from around the world, geneticist Michael Hammer of the University of Arizona in Tucson found that the Y chromosome in Middle Eastern Arabs was almost indistinguishable from that of Jews.” Read her full article HERE.

This certainly matches the Genesis story account which shows that the two sons of Abraham were in estranged relationships as brothers, and that both their mothers could not get along. There was envy, insecurity, anger, rejection, hurt, fear, enmity and hatred as both families tried to co-exist and find a safe space in the household of Abraham (Genesis 16,17,25). These feelings of mutual enmity and contempt have resurfaced in the lives of the millions of descendants of both sons of Abraham. More so over the Yom Kippur attacks by the Hamas into Israel last weekend, on the evening of Sunday, 24^th September to the evening of Monday 25^thSeptember 2023. The massacres were during the most holy day of the Jewish religious calendar, the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16).

The two peoples have been slaughtering each other with bombs, bullets and broadcasts. I lament this tragic outcome of the descendants of brothers who were meant to live together in covenant loyalty and loving relationships. I do not think it will ever stop. I am pessimistic of any future rapproachment between the Palestinians and the Israelis. The only hope I harbour of these two finding real rapproachment, love and reconciliation is in Christ. There has to be internal peace before external peace can be achieved. I am sure in a Christian fellowship of Palestinians and Israelis, there can be forgiveness, reconciliation and true peace and love, despite any lingering disagreements of right and wrong. The love of Christ alone can cover all sins and enmity.

Therefore, while I lament now, I also long and yearn with hope for the day when Isaiah’s prophecy will be fulfilled: “The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Isa 11:6-9)

Thus the weight of my prayers for both these people lean more towards the salvation of souls, that the remnant will come to the Lord in repentance and love. For then and only then, can the descendants of these Ishmael and Isaac find forgiveness and reconciliation in the bosom of their Father in heaven.