THE SECOND STAGE OF SALVATION

  

Salvation is the deliverance from the power and effects of sin by God’s intervention through the death of His Son, Jesus. The Bible says we are all sinners and therefore separated from God. If this separation continues past this earthly life, it will become permanent, and we will spend eternity in hell. Jesus took our sins on Himself to bridge that separation and died in our place. Anyone who puts their faith in Jesus as their sin-bearer is forgiven (saved) and comes into a personal relationship with God. “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are” (Romans 3:22). This, you might say, is the first stage of salvation.

One might ask, why is salvation in two stages? It’s in two parts because becoming a child of God begins a lifetime of becoming more like Christ. During this process, we have to continue to live in this world, struggle with our sinful nature, the devil, and the difficulties of this life, and win victories that will gradually transform us (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). But there’s coming a day when Jesus will usher us to our heavenly home. At this point, our salvation will be complete. There’ll no longer be sin, evil, temptations, pain, or suffering; they’ll all be gone forever, and we’ll be free to serve our God and Father without hindrance from the devil and his agents. We will reign with God forever.

So, what should we do while waiting for the culmination of our salvation? We should continue to grow spiritually and bear fruit. We should grow in our knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord, living holy, godly, and peaceful lives and looking forward to the Lord’s return (see 2 Peter 1:2; 3:11-14). We should also be mindful of the plight of the unsaved and do all we can to share the gospel with them because the Lord does not want them to perish, but to come to faith in Him and be saved, just as we’ve been.

What we do should not be the result of our abilities.  Instead, we should depend on God’s promises and all He has made available through His divine power (see 2 Peter 1:3-4).

When that day comes, we’ll have nothing to be ashamed of. Our new home will take our breath away; we will be at a loss for words. Even so, Lord Jesus, come! God will give us a grand entrance into His eternal kingdom (see 2 Peter 1:11). The amazing promises He has made should help us keep our eyes on the prize, including a new heaven and a new earth, streets of gold, walls of jasper, and gates of pearls; arriving at our new home will be the second and final stage of our salvation.