The Lord stood with me and strengthened me, … I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for his heavenly kingdom.
2 Timothy 4:17.18.
All who have put their faith in Christ have been saved. They have received eternal salvation. There are, however, passages in the New Testament that speak of salvation in the present time and the future. There are various reasons for this:
- The Christian is still living in a world under the hostile influence of Satan.
- The fact of God’s wrath smiting the earth still has to take place.
- The believer’s physical body has not yet experienced its redemption (cf. Romans 8:23).
These points in no way affect the security of the Christian’s full salvation. The apostle Paul was confronted with the opposition of the world on many occasions, but he also experienced deliverance through Christ. He knew that the Lord would deliver him in the future and preserve him for His heavenly kingdom.
The wrath of God will come: He will avenge all evil. But believers know that they will “be saved from wrath to come” (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10) and safely reach the heavenly goal (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:9).
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, became Man, yet He is God at the same time. Therefore He “continues for ever” and “is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him” (Hebrews 7:24.25). What peace and security this affords all who entrust their life and their future to Christ and can say, “He is my Saviour”!