Salvation Comes in 3 Tenses, past, present, future. When a man trusts Christ as Savior, immediately old things pass away, all becomes new; a new birth happens, a man is begotten of God. Thus the saved person looks back in time at when He was regenerated and says, "I was saved on Feb 14, 1972, or whenever. Then in current situations, we depend upon Christ and experience His salvation from current problems. Also in the present He keeps us saved; we are kept children of God. Then we look to the future for final glorification. He who has suffered in the flesh (death) has ceased from sin.
Instant Salvation in Past Tense
“Your faith
has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:50)
th Zacchaeus.
Jesus said to him, “
Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.” (Luke 19:9)
Evidence of Zacc's instant salvation is found in his instant statement:
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” (Luke 19:8)
Cornelius was
instantly saved when he trusted the Lord Jesus, and no water baptism was needed nor
joining any Eastern or Western organization. (see Acts 10:43-48). Compare this to what Peter said in Acts 15:11: We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that
we are saved, just as they are. (Acts 15:11)
Consider Eph 2:5 [God] made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace
you have been saved.
Is there any hint of an extended process between dead & alive? Salvation is a change from death to life, with no intermediate zombie state. 2 Cor 5: Old things are passed away, behold all has become new. It is all or nothing here.
In addressing Tim on common salvation, prophet Paul remarks to Tim how the Christian's salvation is past. There is no future to transpire before Paul and Tim should call themselves saved.
[the Lord God]
who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, - 2 Tim 1:9
Again, prophet Paul wrote in Titus the truth that we presently regard ourselves as saved in the past.
he [God]
saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, (Titus 3:5)
The future continued salvation state after belief is guaranteed by the past justification by the blood of the Lord Jesus.
Since
we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! (Rom 5:9) Now how is anyone going to be half-way justified? You either are or you are not. The transition must be instante.
Instant Salvation Is Realized in Present Time
John 5:24
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes [present tense] him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but
has passed from death to life.
He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may
know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:12,13)
There is a clear dichotomy: You either have or have not the Son of God with eternal life. The change must be instantaneous. Eternal life is a present possession for the believer, not just a future reward.
Salvation is clearly presented as a present reality:
Men are divided clearly into two groups, believers and non-believers, the saved & the perishing.
he who believes has everlasting life. (John 6:47)
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. (1 Cor 1:18)
For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those
who are being saved and those who are perishing. (2 Cor 2:15)
It is clear the whosoever believes in Him has everlasting life and does not come into condemnation. This salvation must be instantaneous in that it is a new birth, a recreation and only depends upon trusting the SAvior (not the chance-giver). One either is a saint or an ain't. The moment a non-believer becomes a believer, he must be saved, for scripture guarantees salvation to the believer. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved. It is clear that the Philippian jailer was at once saved, for he believed.
Complete Salvation Is Realized in the Future
11 But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they." Acts 15
1 Cor
If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire.
8 The Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will save me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
3 Tenses of Salvation
8 But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God through him. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life; 11 and not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
The Certainly of the Believer's Salvation
Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for
He shall save His people from their sins.