When Saved

When Saved?

Romans 5:10 uses the future tense in reference to our being saved. Notice it: "Having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Verse 9 says we have now been justified (made right or in right standing, or declared righteous), and 10 said we have already been reconciled, and verse 11 also says we have received the reconciliation. But we have not yet been saved.

It's a sure thing, though, if we yield to Him and let Him live His life in us, through His Spirit (Rom. 8:2, 9, 13-14), as greater is He that is in us than that which is in the world. His death, then, did not save us, yet. In verse 9 of Romans 5 it says "having been justified by His blood" (by His death). His death has not saved us, as yet. But we shall be saved, by His life. I think this concept can open up a whole new ball game, when it comes to faith verses works, or "eternal security," too.

By no means have we been completely saved yet. We have the Spirit as a guarantee. It is the seal or guarantee, if indeed we do not quench the Spirit but are led by it (Rom. 8:13-14, ibid.). Mat. 10:22 says that whoever endures to the end will be saved. If you will be saved, then you have not already been saved now. It is in the future that it will happen.

If it says "have been saved" anywhere, it would have to be used in the sense of Rom. 4:17, as noted earlier, but human will to do His good pleasure (Rom. 7:18, 2 Cor. 8:10-12, Phil. 2:13) and not shrink back--to destruction (Heb. 10:38-39) is also a definite factor.

No one can snatch out of His hand if we use the tools at our disposal, including our own human will, the sword of His Word and His Spirit to ward off the enemies of the world and Satan. But humans do have some responsibility in it, even though in reality it is Him living His life in us. That is how "we shall be saved by His life," as I see it.

He indwells us--Christ in you, the hope of glory--and gives us the will, the help of His Spirit, and even gives us faith. So it is our faith and trust, or reliance and attachment and clinging to Him, not our own righteousness, that will save us.

That is what it has to mean, to be saved by His works--not our works, but His--apart from the law (apart from the law and our human effots to keep it perfectly so as to not be condemned by it, as James said)--but by our faith and belief in Him, which entails works (as James also said that faith without works is a dead or useless faith--the good works produced by His Spirit, not our frail human attempts.

Romans 2:6-7, 10, 13 and 15 will give even more understanding on this. Verses 6-7 are quite clear in NKJV: "(God), who will render to each one according to his deeds (by the works of him--Greek): eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality." But we do this by having the "goodness" or "deeds" of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22), not our own weak goodness, which is not good enough to save us.

We will then fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2, Rom. 8:2-4) by His indwelling, not on our own, but the law is still in effect and upheld (Rom. 3:21-22, 31, 4:6, etc.) and His righteousness is thus imputed to us by our living righteous lives with His help and indwelling (Rom. 4:11). The boasting is in Christ (3:27-28) because of these things, but the law is still in effect (2:17-23).

Righteousness was imputed to Abraham through faith (Rom. 4:9), but that faith comes from God and is complete reliance upon Him--and that faith entails "the obedience of faith" (Rom. 1:5, 16:26). Sin is the breaking of the law, or lawlessness, but the obedience of faith entails obeying the law or commandments of Christ, Who was really the God of the Old Testament, anyway.

I hope this help tie it all together. Only the foolish will grab a single verse or two, even if it conflicts with many others, to justify his concept that no works are necessary or involved in the proces of salvation. See also Phil. 3:9 about the righteousness of God, not our own. But righteousness and obedience to the commandments is directly involved. "Now He wanted to show His righteousness, to be righteous Himself and make righteous anyone who believes in Jesus" (Rom. 3:26, Beck).

It's a little complicated for those who don't contemplate if deeply, but it cannot be contradictory and has to make sense, if indeed we desperately try to capture and understand it. Jesus was resurrected, that we might bear fruit (produce good works, Rom. 7:4), and 6:22 speaks of having "your fruit to holiness (unto sanctification--margin), and the end, everlasting life. So again, bearing fruit and good works leads to everlasting life.

Now that's an active, living faith, for sure.

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