I’ve been thinking some lately of how we sometimes say, “A day’s march nearer home.” “Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Rom. 13:11). That is the future salvation of our bodies—our translation to heaven at the rapture.
The past, present, and future are all brought out in the verse: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). It’s very personal when we consider who it is of whom it speaks.
The past is “the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). The present is “Jesus Himself drew near, and went with them” (Luke 24:15). And the future is “the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout” (1 Thess. 4:16).
In a more general way we have:
The Past: “Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee” (Deut. 8:2). “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us” (1 Sam. 7:12). “The Lord thy God hath been with thee” (Deut. 2:7).
The Present: “The Lord thy God is with thee” (Josh. 1:9). “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20).
The Future: “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Prov. 27:1). “The Lord God . . . will be with thee” (1 Chron. 28:20). “He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).
Salvation in the Scriptures can be considered in three ways. (1) We have been saved from the penalty of sin (when we first accepted Christ as our own personal Saviour; Acts 16:31; Rom. 1:16). (2) We are being saved from the power of sin (daily kept from evil and harm; Heb. 7:25; Rom. 5:10). (3) We will yet be saved from the presence of sin (taken to heaven; Rom. 13:11).
Salvation can also be considered as a deliverance. “God which raiseth the dead: who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us” (2 Cor. 1:9-10).
These three deliverances can be connected with the three appearings of Hebrews 9. The first chronologically is in verse 26: “Now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself . ” The second is in verse 24: “Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. ” Finally, in verse 28 we have the third appearing: “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation. ”
So, taken together, we see that Christ is an all-the-way-home Saviour! Praise be to His name!
“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).
K. Fournier (from a letter)