“This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armour of right living.”
Romans 13:11-12 NLT
I’m sure we have all been in a church meeting at some time when a testimony is given, about someone who was saved on such and such a day and what an impact that had had on their lives. But Paul wrote here in Romans 13:11 that “our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed”, implying that the original assumption of claiming to be saved might be flawed. So which is right?
We first have to consider what we mean by “being saved” or “salvation”. The dictionary definition is “deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Christ”. And that is indeed the case, because one day, at some time in the future, we will enjoy bring able to enter God’s presence. Through our faith in Jesus, we believe that He dealt with our sins at Calvary. No sinful person can ever enter God’s presence, so through His grace, He provided a way in which our sins can be forgiven. So we are saved. And Paul reminded his readers that the time when they will enter God’s presence was getting nearer.
But there are in fact three phases in what we call “salvation”. The testimony from a person claiming to be saved is the first step in a process, that starts with their faith being placed in Jesus and ends with the receipt of a resurrection body when we enter God’s presence. Paul wrote in Romans 10:9, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved”. Note that Paul didn’t say you are saved, but “you will be saved”. God’s grace in accepting a sinner who turns to Him is life changing and incomprehensible to many. But it’s all about His gracious love for His human creation. Warts and all, everyone has an opportunity to be accepted by God. We should note what Peter said in his Acts 2 sermon. In Acts 2:38 we read, “ … “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit””. The first step that all Christians must take involves repentance from sins and turning to God away from their old sinful lives.
The second step is what the theologians call sanctification. A long word meaning that we are being made holy. God won’t accept anything that is unholy in Heaven. But through a growing up process, the new Christian learns how God wants him or her to live. In 1 Peter 1:14-15, Peter wrote, “So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy”. Such a process would be impossible in our own strength, but God sent the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, to help us. Romans 8:11, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you”. Note that Peter told his listeners in Acts 2:38, that by turning to God, they will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. One follows the other. We cannot turn to God but deny access to the Holy Spirit.
The third and final step is the wonderful realisation that we will one day be glorified. This is when we will receive a resurrection body just like Jesus’s. Romans 8:30, “Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified”. Colossians 3:1-4, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honour at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory”. Paul wrote to the Thessalonian Christians, “We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17).
We pilgrims made a decision to follow Jesus, taking the first steps in our journey to glorification. It’s a lifetime commitment, and the wonderful thing is that God will never reject a repentant sinner. We may be a few minutes away from glory, or many years, but God will accept all those who repent.
Sadly, there are many who have decided that they don’t want to be with God for eternity. Foolishly, they think that they can continue their sinful ways after death, if they even believe in an afterlife. One of my neighbours thinks that he will join, what he calls, “the big party downstairs”. Others think that death will bring oblivion, so why not just enjoy the sinful lives they live while they can. But Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, warning them to wake up. He knew what would happen to those who refused to accept God’s wonderful and gracious of salvation through Jesus, and he didn’t want his friends in Rome to be counted among them.
Dear Father God. How can we thank You enough for Your grace and love, so freely given. we worship You today. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 