Being Saved

Isn't it incredible how the Holy Spirit graciously illuminates the Word at different points in our lives. In our own power, we can read and re-read a passage of Scripture and never see anything new, then one day the Spirit leads us into some new profound truth. Praise God for teaching us. On our own, the Scriptures would contain nothing but foolishness to us. A year or two ago, the Spirit impressed upon me this idea of Christians "being saved." In other words, as a matter of legal position, a born-again believer has been saved (i.e., in the past at the moment of his conversion). But as a matter of practical experience, the Scriptures are plain that we are also in a process of being saved. I don't say this in the Roman Catholic sense of earning or maintaining salvation with my works throughout life, but in the sense that God is keeping me saved from conversion until heaven and shaping and sanctifying us along the way. It's amazing how once God shows you a truth, you then see it exemplified all over the place in the Bible. Take, for example, 1 Corinthians 15:1-2:

"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain."

Here, Paul indicates that his brothers in Christ that received the gospel "are being saved" through that gospel. In other words, the power of the work of our Substitute is where we go to for daily forgiveness and the grace to do what is right and live for God. Paul underscores this by sharing his value judgment of that gospel:

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas...the twelve...five hundred brothers...James...all the apostles...to me." (15:3-8)

This gospel by which I am being saved is of first importance. Do I consider the gospel as it relates to my daily Christian life? I fear that I don't most days. But God is gracious and leads me to repent when I try to stand, much less advance, in my own power. This blog is testament to His gospel power in my life. I have so often prayed for God to incline my heart to His Word and have me engage with it. When I have attempted this through brute piety and even with the assistance of accountability partners, I have failed miserably. However, when God answers my prayers and changes my heart (as he did at my conversion), it is as if I am riding on the crest of a spiritual wave. Savoring the Scriptures is no doing of my own. Praise God for this time in my life where He is making Jesus Christ altogether beautiful to me, which is why I currently have a desire to read what He has to say to me.

Last note: Chapter 15 is found in the context of men loving themselves and loving other people seeing them have great gifts rather than encouraging and building up their brothers. I pray God will guard me from such spiritual pride and work His love and grace through me as his vessel of blessing to others.