Timo Thy

📖 TIMO THY
🔍 The New Birth by Dr. David K. Bernard

THE RELATION BETWEEN PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE SALVATION (PART II)

Paul also stated,

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”
📖 (Philippians 2:12)

This does not mean we can save ourselves by our own plan or earn our own salvation.
Rather, it means we must consciously abide in and keep our salvation.

We should view salvation with awe and respect, realizing we can lose it if we do not value it.
We should be watchful of Satan’s tricks and timid of doing evil.

Many other verses give similar admonitions.

“Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee”
📖 I Timothy 4:16

“Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off”
📖 Romans 11:22

“I declare unto you the gospel . . . By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I have preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain”
📖 I Corinthians 15:1-2

Many other passages teach that we can lose salvation through unbelief and disobedience.
📖 (Galatians 5:4; I Timothy 5:12; Hebrews 12:14-15; James 5:19-20; II Peter 1:10; 2:1; 2:20-21; Revelation 3:5)

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📖 TIMO THY
🔍 The New Birth by Dr. David K. Bernard

THE RELATION BETWEEN PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE SALVATION (PART I)

Obviously, the three tenses of salvation are closely related.
Future salvation will come only to those who have experienced past and present salvation in this life.
Those who are saved in the present have full assurance of salvation in the future.

However, a one-time past experience does not automatically guarantee future salvation.
We are responsible for keeping our salvation until the end.

Just as we have received past salvation through faith in Jesus, we will receive future salvation only if we continue to live by faith in Jesus.
We can forfeit our present salvation and our promise of future salvation by a voluntary return to sin and unbelief.
The link between past and future salvation is continuance in present salvation.

Many scriptural passages emphasize this truth.

Jesus taught the absolute necessity of abiding in Him and keeping His commandments
📖 (John 15:1-14)

He said,

“He that endureth to the end shall be saved”
📖 Matthew 10:22

“Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”
📖 John 3:16

In this last verse, “believeth” is in the present tense, implying that continued present belief is necessary.

Likewise, Paul said the gospel of Christ is

“the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth . . . For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith”
📖 Romans 1:16-17

Salvation will come to those who move from faith to faith, to those who continue to live by faith.

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📖 TIMO THY
🔍 The New Birth by Dr. David K. Bernard

WHAT IS SALVATION? ✨

At the outset, we should establish what we actually mean by the word salvation. In general, salvation can refer to any kind of deliverance, preservation, or liberation. In a theological context, it means deliverance “from the power and effects of sin.”1 From the Bible it is apparent that salvation has past, present, and future aspects. We can say we were saved, meaning that at a past point in time we received forgiveness of sin, freedom from sin’s control, and power to live for God. For example, Paul said, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us” (Titus 3:5). 🕊️

We can also say we are saved, because we presently enjoy forgiveness of sins, power to live for God, and freedom from the power and effects of sin. Thus Paul said, “By grace ye are saved” (Ephesians 2:5). The resurrection and life of Christ effect present salvation. Not only did His death purchase past salvation from sin, but His life provides present victory over sin through His Spirit that dwells in us (Romans 5:10; I John 4:4). ✝️

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📖 TIMO THY
🔍 The New Birth by Dr. David K. Bernard

SALVATION COMES ONLY THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST (PART II) ✝️

Why is reliance upon Christ absolutely necessary? Since all men are sinners, the holiness of God demanded that He separate Himself from sinful man and also required death as a penalty for man. God chose to bind Himself by the principle of death for sin. Without the shedding of blood (the giving of a life) there can be no remission or release from this penalty (Hebrews 9:22) and no restoration to fellowship with the holy God. (See Ephesians 2:13-17; Colossians 1:19-22.) The death of animals is not sufficient to remit the sin of man (Hebrews 10:4), because man is much greater than the animals in that he was created in the spiritual, mental, and moral image of God (Genesis 1:27). Neither can an ordinary man become the substitutionary sacrifice for another, for all deserve eternal death for their own sins. ⚖️

In order to provide a suitable substitute, God manifested Himself in flesh through the man Jesus Christ. Christ is the only sinless man who has ever lived, so He was the only One who did not deserve to die and who could be a perfect substitute. Therefore, His death became a propitiation or an atonement—the means by which God can pardon sins without violating His holiness and justice (Romans 3:23-26). God does not excuse our sins, but He has inflicted the penalty for those sins on the innocent man Christ. This substitution avails to us when we place our faith in Christ and apply His gospel to our lives. Thus the substitutionary, atoning death of Christ was made necessary by (1) the sinfulness of man, (2) the holiness of God, and (3) God’s law requiring death as the punishment for sin. This is why there can be no salvation outside Jesus Christ. ✝️🩸

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📖 TIMO THY
🔍 The New Birth by Dr. David K. Bernard

SALVATION COMES ONLY THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST (PART I) ✝️

Not only does each man need salvation 😔, there is nothing man can do to save himself. No amount of good works or adherence to law can save a man. Ephesians 2:8-9 proclaims, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” This means salvation is a free gift from God 🎁. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ made this free gift of salvation available, and the only way to receive salvation is to have faith in Jesus and in the sufficiency of His sacrifice. Of course, saving faith in Christ includes obedience to His gospel and application of His gospel to our lives. (See Chapter 2 for further discussion of grace and faith.)

We must stress that salvation can come only through faith, and that faith must be in the Lord Jesus Christ ✨. Jesus asserted, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). He also said we must believe He is God manifested in the flesh as our Savior 💖. “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24).

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