Three Tenses

Sometimes it is awkward belonging to a denomination that has never taken a stance on certain theological issues. One such issue is Calvinism (Reformed) vs. Arminianism. I hold firmly to the Reformed tradition, but I refuse to engage in debates with people who disagree with me. (Hence, I deleted a recent email criticism I received.) I listen to a few different podcasts from Reformed churches and theologians, and they often quote:

“We have been saved from the penalty of sin (justification); we are being saved from the power of sin (sanctification); we shall be saved from the presence of sin (glorification).”

Scripture uses all three tenses of the verb “save.” To say that salvation only becomes “real” at the final judgment for those who “endure to the end” (Matt. 24:13), is to miss out on all the nuances of language and the blessings of salvation in this life.

“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18).

“[God], who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2 Tim. 1:9).

The book of Ephesians may be my favorite part of the Bible because it reminds us of all that God did to save us. He chose us before the foundation of the world. He made us alive when we were dead in our sins. He saved us by grace, not by our works. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, He did all that was necessary to make us acceptable to God. We can add nothing to our salvation. All we can do is try to live out what is already true of us.

I find it encouraging to remember that since there is nothing I did to earn my salvation then there is nothing I can do to lose it. I chose to follow Him because He first chose me. I love Him because He first loved me.

Some people ask, “What about people who turn away after having professed faith in Christ?” My question would be who or what was their faith based on? They may be turning away from some form of cultural Christianity, vague “believism,” or something else. We can’t read another person’s heart, though God can. I believe that those whom God has chosen and saved will be enabled to endure to the end, and those who don’t remain were never truly saved to begin with.

Folks can argue Reformed vs Arminianism if they like, but I will not be convinced because “I know Whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me” (2 Tim. 1:12b).

“Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will” (Eph. 1:4-5).

© 2023 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

In the Book

Last week in Sunday school we were talking about differing views of predestination (Arminianism vs. Reformed). There is certainly benefit to studying Scripture to try to figure out what it is saying about salvation. Sometimes though, I think we forget that God is not bound by space and time. This analogy isn’t perfect, but I picture God as the author of a grand book. He has chosen the characters and established their lives and their destinies. Each page, from beginning to end, is unchangeable. But for the characters, each choice they make is a normal outworking of their personality, desires, and priorities. Each choice matters because it leads to the next page of the story. This analogy is supported by Scriptures such as these:

“[God] chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph. 1:4).

“In Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:16b).

There are a couple unique features of God’s book. One is that He wrote Himself into the story in the form of Jesus Christ— “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14a). Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection were required to make the story come to the proper conclusion. That points to the second unique feature—at the end of the story the book isn’t just stuck on a shelf somewhere. Instead, God will transform His chosen people from two-dimensional characters into fully living members of His eternal family. (Everyone else will not be “lifted” off the page into new life.)

Like I said, the analogy isn’t perfect since it doesn’t address things such as prayer and worship being real interaction with God. However, I think most would agree that eternal life is going to have new dimensions we can’t currently imagine: How did Jesus appear to the disciples when they were hidden behind locked doors? Will we be able to just transport ourselves anywhere we want to go? How will we recognize and relate to the fellow believers we’ve known during this life? What good work will God have for each of us to do on the new earth? “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Cor. 13:12).

With the author and book analogy, I have no qualms about saying that God chose me before I existed and apart from anything I could do to earn salvation. At the same time He enabled me to choose Him. He has used all the circumstances of my life—both good and bad—to make me who He wants me to be. Whether I understand all the details or not, I can trust that He will fulfill His perfect plan, and I can give Him the glory for all of it.

“The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels” (Rev. 3:5).

 

© 2023 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.