The Three Seasons of Salvation

Introduction

Despite our differences, we all have a lot in common. We have at least three things in common. We’ll all have a past, present, and a future. And we know people, don’t we, who like to live in the past. You know any of those kind of people? Their favorite phrase was back in the good old days. There’s a problem with living in the past. One is you don’t appreciate the present, and many times our view of the past is a little bit skewed. Our memory is not what it ought to be. Someone has said, the older I get, the better I was.

And every time my uncles would get together, he would talk about the good old days of them growing up. And he’d talk about usually about prices. And he’d say to my other uncles, he says, Oh, you remember the good old days? I can remember when a bottle of coke cost a nickel. Those were the good old days. But my uncle corrected him. And he says, You don’t know what you’re talking about. He says, I remember when Cokes were a nickel, but we didn’t have a nickel. At that time, he says, Cokes are a dollar. And he says, I can go to the grocery store right now and fill the bed of my pickup truck with a dollar Cokes. And you want to talk about the good old days.

Some people prefer to live in the future. Every conversation begins the same way. One of these days. And they have these great pipe dreams of what they’re going to do when their ship comes in. Well, my ship came in, but I was at the airport. And the danger of living in the future is again, you don’t appreciate the present, and you may be put focus on material things and things that shouldn’t be that important to you. But there’s also a danger of just living for the present, isn’t there? We need to appreciate our past. The things that made us who we are today need to be studied and appreciate our history. And for a Christian, we certainly can’t live just for the present. We need to be planning for eternity.

And so maybe we have to live in all three realms past, present, and future.

We’re not going to walk down memory lane. We’re not going to really kind of go around the room and talk about what’s going on with you today or what’s your plans for the future. We want to narrowly focus on the past, present, and future of our salvation. The Bible speaks a lot about salvation, not surprisingly so, and it speaks of the Christian salvation in those three tenses of a fact of our past, the reality of our present, and the hope of our future. And I want us to dwell on our salvation this morning in those three seasons of salvation. To kind of illustrate that, will you open your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 1? 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 10. Now, you need to know, which you’ll quickly recognize when you open up this text, that Paul isn’t talking about eternal salvation in this verse.

He’s talking about his being rescued from danger. You know from your study of the Apostle Paul and his life, that his life was many times threatened and in danger because of his preaching of the gospel and the physical and sometimes fatal persecution that they faced in the first century. And so Paul was rescued, or if you will, saved from those physical dangers. And he talks about that in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and in verse 10 when he says, giving thanks to God, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us, in whom we trust that he will still deliver us. Do you see the three tenses that Paul mentions of his physical rescue? He says, speaking of God who delivered us, Paul could point to a time in his past where God rescued him from some danger.

Maybe he had in mind of a shipwreck where it looked like all were going to be lost at sea, but God saved them. Or maybe one of the times when he was beaten and stoned and left for dead, and maybe he would have been dead if God had not intervened in either some providential or maybe even miraculous way. And Paul says, God has delivered me in the past. And then he speaks of his present. And he does deliver us. Paul could think of his present circumstances as a result of God’s present delivery from danger. Maybe something had just happened. And Paul is thinking about that delivery from danger. Or maybe he’s simply saying the past deliverance makes this present possible. Paul says, when I think about the future, I trust that he will still deliver us.

Paul says there’s going to come another shipwreck or another beating or another stoning.

And so Paul spoke of his physical rescue in those three seasons or three tenses, didn’t he? Past, present, and future.

1. Salvation as a Past Event

And we’re going to see the benefit and the value, if you don’t already know that, of thinking of our salvation, past, present, and future. But if you’re listening to this or watching this online and you’ve yet to obey the gospel, you’re outside of Christ. Maybe this lesson is more important even for you to think about your past, present, and future, and what it could be. If you’re in Christ Jesus and experiencing the blessings of a past, present, and future salvation. There’s going to be no mystery in the outline of this morning’s lesson. Let’s start chronologically and let’s think about salvation as a past event. Turn with me, if you will, to Ephesians chapter 2. Many times the New Testament would write about salvation as a past event.

And by the way, as you’re turning to Ephesians chapter 2, that’s not a surprise. We know that once we get beyond the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and past the historical book of the book of Acts, the rest of the New Testament, Romans through Revelation, was written to people who were already New Testament Christians. And so it’s going to speak of them having been saved at some point in their past. In fact, isn’t it interesting that most of the new, not all, but many of the New Testament passages that even talk about baptism, speak of it as a past event. Because these New Testament Christians had already done that. And a couple things spring from that. Number one is it is assumed that these New Testament Christians had been baptized for the remission of their sins.

That was such a fundamental part of their salvation and their Christianity. It was just assumed that every one of them had done it. And secondly, what he is teaching is not just the necessity of being baptized for the remission of our sins in order to become a Christian, but he’s also arguing the implications of that. If you did that, that means something. Or it should mean something to you. Look with me. Are you in Ephesians chapter 3? Look at these familiar verses, verses 8 and 9. And notice how it’s phrased as a past event. Ephesians 3, verse 8, to me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery which has been hidden from the beginning of the ages and been hidden in God who created all things through Christ Jesus to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus.

And so our salvation can be spoken of as a past event in two senses at least. One is that our salvation is based upon a past historical event. That Jesus died on the cross for our sins. It was accomplished through Christ Jesus. And so our salvation can be spoken of as a past event because our salvation was secured by the blood of Christ that happened in that past event. Let us never forget that our salvation is attached to that day. Every Lord’s day is a reminder of that, isn’t it? It should be.

New Testament saints were saved, but they were saved in prospect of a price that would be paid. We’re saved based upon an event that has already happened and a price that has already been paid. But your salvation can be spoken of as a past event in another sense. That if you’re a child of God, if you’re a Christian this morning, you can point back to a decision that you made and to an action that you took to an event in your past. We won’t do it this morning, but it might be a blessing to us all if sometime we just sat around and took turns and talked about that day and the decision. It’d be different.

For some of us, it might have almost looked like a foregone conclusion. It was that way for me. I can’t remember a time not going to church. I grew up in a household where it was just assumed. Sunday, you’re going to church. Wednesday night, you’re going to church. And it didn’t matter, by the way, that to my household, to my mom and it didn’t matter that the wonderful World of Disney is coming on Sunday night. It doesn’t, you’re going to church. It doesn’t matter that that’s incredible came on on Wednesday nights. And you didn’t have a DVR or a VCR. You’re going to church. And so I kind of easily, I think easily grew into that decision. But for some of you, it was a very different story.

It wasn’t kind of a foregone conclusion. It wasn’t just a transition in your life. It was a major cataclysmic change of events. But we can all point to that event, to that decision, that day in which we obeyed the gospel. Look with me, if you will, in the book of Acts, chapter 2, where those days started. Imagine being a part of that day in which 3,000 people obeyed the gospel and did as they were told by Peter and the other apostles. They repented and were baptized. 3,000 souls that day. And look at verse 47, the last verse of the way it’s phrased, and praising God and having favor with all the people. That’s what these Christians and the apostles did. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

The importance of that day and that past event.

The New Testament emphasizes that we’re saved by the grace of God. But we understand the importance and we also understand the urgency. We don’t have the time this morning, but we could go through the book of Acts and look at every account of that day for those people. Every account of conversion recorded in the book of Acts has a few things in common. Number one is in every account of conversion in the book of Acts, you’ll see baptism being administered. And you’ll see it being administered immediately. 3,000 on that day in Acts chapter 2 of the day of Pentecost. The same hour of the night, the Philippian jailer in Acts chapter 16. In Acts chapter 8, the Ethiopian stops the chariot in the middle of the road and they go down into the water and he baptizes him.

2. Salvation as a Present Reality

There’s an urgency to that. And so we can look as our salvation as that past event and rejoice at that. Rejoice at those two past events. Rejoice that Jesus gave his life upon that cross and then rejoice that you came to a saving knowledge of the truth and obeyed the gospel on that day in your past. But the New Testament also speaks of salvation as a present reality. Look with me in the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 1. So it’s not just spoken of as some past event, either as attached to the crucifixion of Christ or to the day in which you became a Christian, but then it continues. It’s spoken of as a present reality. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Look what he says of these Christians and would apply to us today in verse 18.

1 Corinthians 1 verse 18, it says, for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those of us who are being saved. It is the power of God. Don’t you love that language? Not just those of you who were saved or have been saved, but to those of you who are being saved. What a beauty that that’s our reality right now. Skip over a couple chapters or more than a couple the chapter 15 of the book of 1 Corinthians.

Not you were now he could have said that. They were saved by the gospel in the past when they rendered obedience to the gospel. But he says that presently, you are saved by the gospel. And so we can think of our salvations in terms of that present reality. We are saved. We’re currently experiencing the blessings of salvation. And unfortunately, it’s easy to lose sight of that. Because we live in a flawed world, don’t we? That seems to get more and more flawed as the day goes on. But as you turn on your televisions or open up your newspapers or the news feed on your phone, and you’re reminded of the garbage of this life. The sinfulness, the wickedness, the hatred, and all of those things. And by the way, maybe that’s the hint we need to turn some of that stuff off every once in a while.

But as you look at those things, you have a daily reminder of how bad it is here. But I don’t encourage you to put the remote and your phone down and open up the word. And also be reminded of the present reality of your current state in Christ Jesus. It doesn’t make all that stuff go away. It’s still there. But it puts it in perspective. That it doesn’t have to inflict and infect my soul. Because I’m in the world, but I’m not of the world. And the world’s not in me. And that as a Christian, I have the blessed benefit that I’ve read the last chapter of this book. I know how the story ends. Our Bible reading that David did for us was in Ephesians chapter 1.

Go back there. Now don’t misunderstand me. To give away a secret, our last point’s going to be the future. You may not have guessed that yet, but the next point’s going to be future. We’re going to talk about the future. We’re going to talk about heaven and the blessings of that reality. So I don’t mean to diminish that, but do you recognize that the blessings have already started? We sing as you’re turning to Ephesians chapter 1. We have some songs in our songbook that talk about Beulah land. And those songs are sometimes my favorite because I grew up, I talked about growing up going to church where I went to church, was Beulah, Church of Christ. So a lump in my throat comes every time I sing those songs.

It speaks of the song, speak of Beulah land being heaven. If you go back really at the Old Testament prophecies about Beulah land, Beulah land is where we’re living now. Again, that not to diminish the beauties of heaven. It will far exceed this Beulah land. But again, if you’re a Christian based upon that past, then you’re living in Christ now. And in Christ now, Paul says are all spiritual blessings. 1 Ephesians chapter 1, verse 3, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Now he talks about the heavenly places. He’s not saying that’s a future event. These are heavenly blessings that we are experiencing now in Christ, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.

That’s now. Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. Will that be amplified in heaven as his children gather around his throne? Absolutely. But the reality of it is you are his, if you’ve had that past, you are his child right now. To the praise, verse 6, to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he’s made us accepted in the beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of his sins, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to abound toward us. I’ll insert the word, now, that he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to the good pleasure which he purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of time he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and are on earth, in him.

You see, that on earth that’s talking about now. In him also we have obtained an inheritance, having predestined, being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory. You have so many glorious blessings in Christ right now. Don’t forget that. Don’t let the travesty and the wickedness of this world cause you to forget that. What a blessing that we have Christ now. And that we have not just a future way out of this world, but a present way out of this world. That is wicked and evil and hateful as this world is, I don’t have to participate in it.

Because I’m living in those heavenly places already. As Paul would encourage the Colossians in Colossians chapter 3, I’m already seeking those things which are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. I’ve already set my mind on those things. I know you’ve heard this illustration before, but bear with me. One of my favorite TV shows growing up was Leave It to Beaver. Talk about living in the past. I just gave my age there. For some reason, unknown to me, I could relate to a young boy who always got in trouble. You remember those shows, they were all the same. Every episode was the same. Little Beaver, who’s a part of this loving, close-knit family, would do something to jeopardize that. He would get in trouble, he would tell some lie, or he would do something that he was afraid, or he might get lost in a cave, and we don’t know whether he’s going to be found or not.

Well, the clue was the show was named after him, so he’s probably going to be alright. But he’d get lost in a cave, and oh no, is he going to make it? Or he would disobey his parents and he would think they’re going to disown him and hate him. And how is this ever? But you caught a pattern, didn’t you? In 30 minutes’ time, it all worked itself out every time. His parents loved him at the end. They rescued him from being lost in the cave or in the woods or wherever he was lost. And I’m I’m really, I know you may not guess this about me, but I’m a real empathetic kind of person. I get into a book or a movie or a TV show.

I’ll cry at movies at the drop of a hat. I get involved in it. And even as a child, I did. I’d get involved and I’d be worrying, oh no, what’s going to happen? Is he gonna? This might be it. This is the end. But I’d have to remind myself. Almost every episode, I know how this story ends. Relax. He doesn’t know it, but I know it’s gonna turn out okay. The story ends with a happy ending. As I watch the morning news, or scroll through my internet feed. I can feel like I’m in one of those episodes. Or I’m lost in a cave somewhere. Or that my father doesn’t love me. And am I going to get out alive? But I need to remind myself again that I know how this story ends.

3. Salvation as a Future Hope

That’s my present reality. Whatever’s going on around me. I know how the story ends. It ends with a father loving his children. And that’s my present reality. Sometimes the New Testament will speak of salvation in future terms. Romans chapter 5 and verse 9 says, we shall be saved. In fact, look in Romans chapter 13. Speaking of salvation as that not just a past event that we can point back to, and not just to a present reality, but to a future hope. Romans 13 and in verse 11, it says, and do this, the commandments that preceded this, 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. Salvation is a future event as well, is it not?

Based upon a past, enhanced by the present reality. There lies that future hope.

And that’s 1 Corinthians chapter 15 that speaks of that hope. The hope that’s based upon a resurrection, that again is based upon a past resurrection, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that ensures and guarantees our future resurrection. We shall be changed, Paul says. And when we shall be changed, we shall be saved.

Conclusion

And so hope. Hope that looks out into the far distant unknown future. And a hope that attaches itself solidly to events of the past. And a hope that sustains us in the present. Don’t give up. Because you shall be saved. Don’t give up. Because your salvation is nearer now than it ever has been. And so for the Christian, we can live in the past, the present, or the future. Because in whatever season you’re thinking, there is salvation. But what if you’re not a Christian? You don’t have that salvation. You don’t have the past, the present, or the hope of the future. And that’s sad. But the good news is that that can change. It can change today. Today can be your past event, the past decision that from now on, if you live to be a hundred and twenty-three, you can look back on this day as the day you were saved.

You rendered obedience to the gospel by believing in him, repenting of your sins, confessing that faith, and being baptized today with that same sense of urgency we read in the book of Acts. And you can leave this building with a new present. Pardon the pun. With a new present. And for the first time in your life with a real hope of a salvation in the future. Salvation. Past, present, and future. Would you make it your present reality and your hope today? Can we help you in that in any way? Why not let it be known right now?