Christ Church Bromley

Have you ever tried to explain to someone the truths of our salvation? More specifically, have you ever tried to describe how we are saved now, but still await our salvation that is yet to come?

It's not as easy as easy as it sounds. Here is a made up but illustrative example of the kind of conversation that I find myself having:

Me: So, on the cross, Jesus saved us from our sin.
Friend: Okay, so if I believe in Jesus, I will stop sinning, right?
Me: Well, no. Um... you see, we still battle with sin now.
Friend: But you said that Jesus saved us from our sin on the cross?
Me: He does.
Friend: So Christians don't sin.
Me: Er... no. You see, we still fight against sin now, but we can have a certain hope that Jesus will save us from our sin completely on the last day.
Friend: Eh? So Jesus didn't save us from sin completely on the cross?
Me: No... well... um...
Friend: I'm confused.
Me: Look. We're saved completely now, but in another sense we're not yet saved. Yeah?
Friend: Christianity is weird.
Me: Oh 'eck.

Well, until last Wednesday I found it really hard to get across the now-but-not-yet aspect of our salvation. Thankfully, during one of our staff toolbox mornings (where we focus on handling God's word properly) Iain explained this seeming paradox to us in a very helpful way. He explained the three tenses of salvation.

This is a simple yet very clear way of understanding our salvation from sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus. It goes something like this:

• We have been saved from the penalty of our sin.
• We are being saved from the power of sin in our lives.
• We will be saved from the presence of sin.

Good, eh? I mean, this isn't saying anything new about our salvation; it's just putting it in a way that is really easy to comprehend and, therefore, easy to pass on to others. If you like long and posh theological words, then these three points are regeneration, sanctification, and glorification.

So, as I battle with sin in my life I can know that Jesus has paid my penalty on the cross. God's wrath is satisfied and I am reconciled to God through Jesus. Yet, I am overcoming sin in my life now, denying its power over me through the power of the Holy Spirit. I keep on struggling because I know that I will be delivered from the presence of sin when Christ returns or calls me home.

Likewise, in my conversations with friends, I can hold out the truths of salvation without compromising a) its fullness, b) the reality of our struggle with sin, and c) our great hope of heaven and the new creation.

So, let's give it a go. Let's look for an opportunity this week to speak of our salvation to a friend in a real but nonetheless certain way.