Saved Or Safed?

All  my life I've had people ask "Are you saved?" Being Armenian that troubled me! Based on my understanding I can "fall away" from my Christian walk. That term refers to apostasy. However, it seemed odd that I could be "saved" then relinquish my "salvation". That lacks continuity! Calvinists ask with a laugh "Larry, did you get saved again?"

Any sane person knows that salvation from anything is a one time event. If a red car hits me at 60 mph and a gust of wind miraculously blows me clear, I am "saved" from death. A similar event may happen again, but that red car and the gust of wind will never happen again. Being "saved" from a second death is a one time event. That's God's sentencing time. He will say "Well done, good and faithful servant!" or he might say "I can't find your name in The Book of Life. Away with you!"

Let's look first at what "saved" means. We must be saved from something! What is that which the "born again" person is saved from?

Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath  through him." 

 James 5:20  "Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."

It's clear that "salvation" is to keep a sinner from damnation, and that it's to save our souls from death. This refers to "the second death" where the soul is damned to hell for eternity!

I was "born again" so that I could be "saved" from what I deserve; eternity in hell according to God's justice. Therefore I am be "saved" from damnation and the second death. For Calvinists who believe in eternal security, when Jesus comes into their life, that's the moment of salvation. My contention is that being born again "safed" me. I am "safe"as long as I have faith which is essential to being a Christian. A person who merely believes without having the faith is no better than the demons, according to scripture, if belief is as far as it goes!

Faith is trust over time. How much time must we have faith? Until we die! Therefore, salvation is at the time we're saved from the second death. Before that we wear the armored protection of Jesus and use the sword of truth to keep us "safe". In effect God puts a hedge around us to offer some degree of protection from the devil.

Everybody now says "I'm saved!" if they have been "born-again". That is the time in our lives when we turn our lives over to Jesus and accept his shed blood on our behalf! (How to be born again is a subject for another day. This "Thought" is on "Saved" vs. "Safed"). However, I could find no instance other than Paul one time, who referred to salvation in the past tense:

1 Corinthians 1:18  "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."

Paul is a special case. He was physically "born again" without his participation! Jesus came to him and adopted him because Paul was the one needed to spread the message! Paul knew his destiny for sure because he had no choice in the matter as far as we can tell from scripture. Sure, he could have refused as Jonah did, but Paul was convinced so solidly that he was a firm in his faith as Job!

Paul. actually conversing with Jesus,  had full assurance that he would abide and that he would finish the race. He said that many times because he knew that his ministry was necessary and that apostasy was out of the question! As Paul had no choice in being born again, he had no free will to abandon God! (Yes, this is Calvinistic thought, but as I said, Paul was a special case and God can't be boxed in by Calvin nor Arminius!). Paul applied his own assurance to others of the faith, not as something that has happened, but will happen!

On the other hand, Paul spoke often of salvation in the future tense. We'll look at several of those passages later.

It's may not be possible to try to "time" salvation. We know that we will be "saved" from second death, but it would be foolish to start the plan as it happens. We need to plan for that day now:

2 Corinthians 6:2  "(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)"

We don't wait on death bells to toll to believe; Paul says to start the "race" right now as he likened salvation. Some people plan for their funeral in advance, but die sometimes in the future. Paul is telling people, you will die, have a plan now!

Jesus, one time and one time only Jesus used "saved" in the past tense:

Luke 7:50 "And he said to the woman (who anointed his feet), Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. " 

Jesus has foreknowledge! Jesus knows the outcome of all our lives. He knows that this meek woman who served him so well will in fact, endure to the end! His recognition of her faith and salvation was prophecy. He was going to make it happen and he knew when and where: at her death!

There are many cases where salvation is spoken of in a tense neutral sense. Below are two examples:

! Corinthians 15:15 "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved..."

Ephesians 2:8  "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"

"Ye are saved" and "are ye saved can apply past, present or future.

Then we have at the crucifixion those who referred to "others" as being "saved" in the past tense:

Mark 15:31 "Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save."

However, this was done as they mocked Jesus and is not theological doctrine!

At the time of his crucifixion is when Jesus "saved" us. Not just the believer when it happened, but all had believed on him and all that would. Jesus' death is when the act of love occurred which made salvation available:

 2 Timothy 1:9 "Who (The Lord) hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:" Note: referring to his work already being accomplished

It was God who showed mercy on us and since he died in the past, salvation was made available to all in the past. It has already happened and it only needed to happen once. As Jesus
 mercy "saved" us, that salvation was done at his death, but the promise was to be fulfilled later.

 Titus 3:4 "But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour..."

It may be that as today Paul used "saved" as past tense out of convenience. It's easier to say "I'm saved!" than to say "I have the hope of being saved from  the second death!"  Men have a way of speaking in shorthand because it was obvious to them what was the meaning. We all do that! However, the specific time we're "saved" is in scripture! This specific time is most often referred to in the future tense.  Five examples follow:

John 10:9a "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved...." 

Acts 2:21 "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

 Acts 15:11 "But we  believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we (the Apostles and Elders) shall be saved, even as they."

 Romans 10:9  "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

Romans 10:13  "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

 "Shall be" is the most often used context referring to salvation. When "whomever" believes they "shall be saved". It's sometime after the time they first believe. In honesty that could be immediately after they believe or anytime thereafter. All we know from "shall be" is that it isn't referring to the past nor right now! We must look at when salvation "shall be""

 Matthew 10:22 "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 

We see here that there is a time interval from "belief" to being "saved". It's a period of faith and is culminated by having faith "to the end" by endurance. After we believe, as with Job, Satan goes on the attack. He deceives you all the time trying to diminish your endurance in your faith until doubt is placed in your mind. It's hard work fighting Satan, God knows that you can't do it on your own, so he offers a degree of "safety" so that you don't have to handle more than you can bear. More on that shortly.

Once we believe we have some faith. Because we wish to avoid God's wrath, we have faith in his word that we shall avoid eternity in hell. From the time we first believe until we die our faith is based on "hope". We look forward to God's promise of salvation and believe him. God offers to the faithful "hope". Because God offers the only hope there is, we are thus "saved" by hope and that "hope" is in a future event.

 Romans 8:24a " For we are saved by hope..."

Anytime we have hope in salvation the day we're to be saved becomes nearer:

Romans 13:11b "... that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."

 The starting point for "hope" is "when we first believed"! With each moment we're not yet "saved" but it's nearer than it was the first day!

1 Thessalonians 5:8 "But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation."

I'm born again as you are if you believe and have trust in Jesus. Therefore, because of our belief in Jesus we have "the hope of salvation". We can't see it or experience it now because "things hoped for" are invisible. We, because of faith, have "hope" that not only can we be saved, but will be when we die!

Scripture is very specific as to when we go from "the hope of salvation" to the very day that we're saved. We "are kept" in a state of being "safe" because we have faith until salvation is revealed to us in the end:

1 Peter 1:4 "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who (the incorruptible) are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

Then at the end "Voila!" our "hope" is fulfilled. We have endured to the end and now we're saved! On what day will that be?

1 Corinthians 5:5  "To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." (Judgement Day)

We are saved on the judgment day! Some believe that only the unrighteous will be judged and all will be found guilty and sentenced. The way I see it that "judgment" has two outcomes. We're either found guilty or innocent. My contention is that the righteous will be judged and since their name is in The Book of Life, they will be found innocent and get their reward. That's the day they get "saved".

Before the judgment day they are still "safe". They have visa's in the kingdom of God until that time. They are protected citizens of that kingdom and are protected in "Abraham's bosom", so to speak. They share the "Faith of Abraham" which is great faith and because of their faith, they remain "safe" until later!

The John spoke of his vision of the time when salvation actually comes:

 Revelation 12:9 "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."

It's when Satan who is the destroyer is himself destroyed. With the devil put away we can no longer be tempted and deceived. All sin is gone forever and we now enjoy salvation (when that day comes)!

An analogous situation is this: We are lost at sea in shark infested waters. We see a ship on the horizon and say "I'm saved!" However, the sharks are still there, but there is hope that you can endure until you're pulled aboard! Because of your faith, you avoid the sharks and fear not. Just as you're hoisted out of the water, you still feel safe, but you're not yet! When our feet are planted on the deck, that's the time you're saved. Until then your "safe" because you have some degree of protection with the weapons on the ship, but your not yet "saved" until you're free from harm!

The best example of that "safe" condition is from The Book of Job.

Job 1:8 "And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand.

God knew that by faith Job would be "safe" from the wiles of Satan even as Satan attacked him harshly. However, Job was made "safe" by God in that Satan couldn't destroy him! However, if one reads the entire book, Job could have abandoned God. However, Job endured all the trials of Satan because of his faith. At the end of the book, Job is "saved" from the trials of Satan who moved on, but until that day, Job was "safed"!

Of course I'm pragmatic. Calvinists cannot accept that "salvation" is at the day of the Lord or all five points go down the drain. On the other hand, Arminians must believe that "salvation" is at the end and Christians live in the "hope of salvation" and are "safe". To believe that we are already "saved" implies that we are eternally secure. I contend that Arminian doctrine requires that those born again will be saved at the judgment day and I see that in scripture!