Let's read this passage of scripture
again that I read in 2 Corinthians 1, verses 8-10. Paul is talking about something
terrible that happened to them. He says in verse 8, For we would
not, brethren, have you ignorant of our troubles. which came to
us in Asia. He was stoned. There was a riot
that went on. He said, we would not have you
ignorant of our trouble, which came to us in Asia, that we were
pressed out of measure, above strength. We were unable to cope
with this, insomuch that we even despaired of life. But We had
the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves,
but in 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. I've entitled this message, The
Tenses of Salvation. In the context, Paul is talking
about a temporal deliverance. He's referring to what he'd experienced
in verses 8 and 9, the situation that he thought would end in
certain death, and a very painful one at that. But yet he said
we were delivered. He delivered us. Now, the word deliver is synonymous
with the word saved. We find this word in the scripture
deliver. We find this word in scripture
saved. As a matter of fact, the Lord,
one of his titles in Romans 11, 26 is the deliver. Deliver emphasizes rescue. being rescued. Saved emphasizes being preserved,
but we have been rescued. This is what I need. I need to
be rescued. That speaks so powerfully to
me. I need to be rescued. He says we were rescued from
so great a death. We're presently being rescued.
And we trust, we have a confident hope that we will be rescued. Paul said in 2 Timothy 4.18,
the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and preserve
me unto his heavenly kingdom. Now you'll notice in that verse
10, past deliverance, he hath delivered us, present deliverance,
He doth deliver us, and future deliverance, whom we trust He
will yet deliver us. Past, present, and future. We all have a past. We all have a present. And we all have a future. We have a past that we cannot
change. The history, as it were, and
you cannot change history. We have a past that we cannot
change. And we have a present that we
cannot control. And we have a future that we
can't determine. We're little, aren't we? We're
not near as big as we think we are. And I need rescued. I need rescued from my past. I'm talking about the past of
one second ago. I'm talking about the past of
five minutes ago. I'm talking about the past of
an hour ago. I'm talking about the past of 10 years ago, 50
years ago. I need rescued from my past. I love the way the Lord
has taught us to pray. Lord, deliver us. There's that
word. Rescue us from evil. Rescue me from this evil man. Rescue me from evil, the evil
one. Rescue Romans chapter 7, Paul
said, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me? There's
that word. Who shall rescue me from this body of death? I need to be delivered from the
wrath to come. I need deliverance. I need deliverance
from my past. I need deliverance right now
in the present. And I need deliverance in the
future. Now there are three tenses spoken
in our text, past, present, future, but these three tenses are confined
to time. And when I was thinking about
what I'm going to try to talk about, I almost got amused, if
that's the right word, that I'm talking about something that
I have absolutely no understanding of. Eternity. Eternity. I have no understanding
of eternity. I can't conceive, I can't get
hold of the fact that there's no time in eternity, no past,
no present, no future. Now, in God's salvation, there's
salvation in the past, there's salvation in the present, there's
salvation in the future, but there's also an eternal salvation. No past, no present, no future. All is in the eternal now. Now,
can we understand this? No, because we're creatures of
time. But we can try to think about it. God's salvation is
like God's name. He said, I am that I am. He never says, I was. He never
says, I will be. He is always I am that I am. And his salvation is an eternal
salvation. Hebrews 5, 9, we read that he's
the author of eternal salvation. And when we speak of eternity,
it's just impossible for us to talk about. I talk about eternity
past. Well, that's a denial of what
eternity is when I talk about eternity past. This is just trying
to accommodate the weakness of the flesh. We can't grasp this.
But eternity past. Talk about eternity future. There's
no such thing as eternity future. Everything is now. There's no
past. There's no future. It's all in
the now. Eternity past has something to
do with what the scripture means. I have to use that term. I don't
know how else to talk about it. It has something to do with what
the scripture means when it talks about before the foundation of
the world. That's eternity past. Eternity
future has something to do with that song we sing when we've
been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, with no less
days to sing his praise than when we first begun. Now, every
believer was delivered in eternity. That's a glorious thought. Every
believer was delivered in eternity. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 4 says,
According as he hath chosen us in him before, before the foundation
of the that we should be holy and without blame before Him.
Christ is called in Revelation 13, 8, the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world. He's always been the Lamb slain,
and every spiritual blessing we have, we've always had in
eternity. Turn to 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse 9. who has saved us, 2nd Timothy
1, verse 9, who has 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 everything we have, justification,
sanctification, redemption, God's acceptance, God's love, God's
blessing, everything I have. Everything he's given me was
given me before the foundation of the world. Jeremiah 31 3 says, Behold, I
have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving
kindness have I drawn thee. Every blessing we have, we've
always had. I think of union with Christ.
Both he that sanctify, Hebrews 2, 11, both he that sanctify
and they who are sanctified are all of one. When did that union
begin? It never had a beginning. It just blows my mind. I love
thinking about it. The Lord's always, before I formed
thee in the belly, I knew thee. That means I was back then. He knew me back then, before
9-9-59. He knew me. Every believer has always been
known by the Lord Jesus Christ. Now what did the Lord say to
the sheep on his right hand in Matthew chapter 25 regarding
Judgment Day? Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world. If I'm a believer, I have always
been the object of God's love, of God's affection. I've always
been in Christ. There's never a time when I was
not in Christ. Let me show you a scriptural
glimpse of this. Turn to Proverbs chapter 8. Proverbs chapter 8. Now these are the words of wisdom
personified, the Lord Jesus Christ, and these words are spoken from
eternity. Beginning in verse 22, this is
the Lord Jesus speaking, and he says, The Lord possessed me
in the beginning of His way before his works of old. I was set up
from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there
were no depths, I was brought forth. When there were no fountains
abounding with water, before the mountains were settled, before
the hills was I brought forth. While as yet he had not made
the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust
of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there when
He set a compass upon the face of the depth, when He established
the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep, when
He gave to the sea His decree that the water should not pass
His commandments, when He appointed the foundations of the earth.
Then I was by Him as one brought up with Him, and I was daily
His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in the
habitable parts of His earth, and my delights were with the
sons of men, even before they were created. My delights were
with the sons of men, all of his elect." Now, the relationship
of the believer with God in Christ never had a beginning. And it will never have an ending. When Christ stood as my surety And this is trying to accommodate
human weakness. Was there a time when He stood
as my surety? I don't know how else to explain it. But before
time began, when Christ stood as my surety, everything God
required of me personally, He looked to His Son for, and I
was completely saved. Now, turn to Romans chapter 8.
I mean every aspect of salvation. I'm not talking about I'm not
talking about, well, my salvation was decreed. Well, it wasn't
decreed, but more than that, I was actually glorified there.
That's how complete this is. You see, God's will is so supreme
that whenever He wills something, it is. I mean, it's not going
to happen. It has happened when He wills
it. Look in Romans chapter 8, and
this is something all you can do is believe this by faith.
Look in Romans chapter 8, beginning in verse 28. And we know. that all things work together
for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to his purpose. Four, whom he did foreknow. Now remember, foreknowledge is
not about events, it's about persons. Whom he did foreknow. If I'm a believer, he's always
known me. Whom he did foreknow, remember
that crowd, he said, depart from me ye that work iniquity, I never
knew you. Whom he did foreknow, them he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom
he did predestinate, them he also called past tense. Whom he called, them he also
justified. And whom he justified, them he
also will glorify? No. Them he also glorified. This is not prophetic. This is
not talking about something that will happen. This is history. And beloved, history cannot be
changed. Isn't that wonderful? Salvation in eternity. Eternal redemption, eternal justification,
eternal everything. You see, everything God does
is eternal. He's God. He's God. I've run across people who say,
well, I can't believe in this thing of eternal justification.
It has to happen in time. Well, it did happen in time.
What was purposed and done in eternity? You know, just because
Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world didn't
mean he didn't have to come into time and become the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. And everything that was purposed
in eternity must be done in time. And all of the elect, we were
delivered in eternity, but we're also delivered in past time. Now, here's what I mean by that.
When the Lord Jesus Christ He came in time, in the fullness
of time, the scripture says Christ came born of a woman, made under
the law, in the fullness of time. The Lord Jesus Christ came into
history and he kept the law for me and he rescued me. He died
for my sins and he rescued me. He was raised from the dead.
He rescued me. When he ascended back to the
Father, I was rescued. I was delivered then. Let me
show you this in Colossians chapter 1. Let's turn with me there.
Colossians chapter 1. Verse 20. and having made peace through
the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto
himself. By him, I say, whether they be
things in earth or things in heaven, and you that were sometimes
alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now
Now, hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh. Now, hath
he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, through
his death on the cross, to present you. And this is not something
that's happening in the future. This presentation that takes
place. To present you. This is not something
that will happen. This is something that has already
happened. This is not in the future tense. This is something
that's already happened. To present you. When our Lord
ascended back into glory, he presented every believer holy,
unblameable, and unreprovable in his sight. My eternal justification
was accomplished by him in time. So I was saved in eternity, and
I was saved in the past. When the Lord said, It is finished,
my salvation became history. And that can't be changed. It
was accomplished. It's completed. I can't get any
more saved than I was way back then. That's how saved I was. And everything that's happened
from the present back to that time has been deliverance. Everything. You know, everything
that's happened. You look at history. The Lord put his hand on Alexander
the Great. some 300 years before the birth
of Christ. He conquered the whole world.
Greek became the language, and that's the language God was going
to use to communicate the gospel. That was his deliverance. Now,
when our Lord came, it came during the time of the Romans. The Romans
were the Leaders of the world, I mean, and what were the road?
Every road leads to Rome. Communication happened through
Rome. They had roads and so the gospel
could be spread. Everything that has happened
historically has happened for our deliverance. Everything.
When I was born, he delivered me. When I didn't know him, the
unseen hand of his providence delivered me. When he made himself
known to me, he delivered me. Right now, he's delivering me. Everything that's happened from
now back to the Lord, back to the, from the foundation of the
world has been the deliverance of every believer. So all my
past is good. And I, when I say that, I'm thinking
the sins I've committed today. Can you really say that? Yes. All my past is good. Well, what about your sins? What
sins? The Lord put them away. And if
the Lord put them away, they're put away. All my past is good. There's all kinds of painful,
difficult things I can think about, but I know that all my
past is good because my past is the life of the Lord Jesus
Christ. That is my past. And that says, live in the past.
Someone says, don't live in the past. Yeah, live in the past.
My past is the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. So he delivered
us. And he delivered us, Paul said,
from so great a death. And I realize that he's talking
about a temporal death and he's talking about an Asia where Paul
was stoned. There was a riot in Ephesus.
I mean, everywhere he went, there was nothing but trouble. And
he was talking about a temporal deliverance. I realize that,
but this is still a great death there. But oh, what a great death
he's delivered me and rescued me from, the death of being dead
in sin. What a great death. Unable, unable to do what I'm
called to do. Unable to believe, unable to
repent, unable to love, unable is the only word you can use
to just, what a great death, but He hath delivered me from
so great a death. I've been rescued. I've been
rescued. Oh, I love that. I love that
term for salvation. Rescued. Rescued from my past. And notice, salvation in the
present, it says in 2 Corinthians 1, verse 10, he doth deliver. He doth deliver. He hath delivered, and he doth
deliver. Now, if you've already been delivered,
and all your past is okay, why do you even need a present salvation? I don't know, but I do. I don't
know how to explain that, but I know that I am dealing the
same thing Paul said, O wretched man that I am. Not that I was,
but that I am right now. Who shall deliver me from this
body of death? I have a historical salvation
with things in the presence I need rescue from. Now, understand
this about faith. It's very important for me to
understand this. Faith is always in the present. Faith is always in the present. If I'm looking back to some experience
I've had, that's not faith. Faith is in the present to whom
coming. Just read that passage of Scripture
in 1 Peter 2 verse 4. Not to whom you came or not to
whom you intend to come. To whom coming. Always coming
to the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is in the present. There's
two false refuges men love to hide in. One's the past and one's
the future. Men love to hide in the past.
Well, I remember when I first learned this or when I first
believed that or when I first experienced that. Forget that.
Forget that, that's in the past. Don't you try to find assurance
right now for something that took place in the past in that
sense. The only assurance that comes from the past is what our
Lord did in the past. What he accomplished. If I'm
looking at some experience I've had, I have missed it all together. Salvation is coming to Christ
right now. To whom? Coming, as in the living
stone. Another false refuge men love
to hide in is the future. I plan on doing this. I intend
on doing this. I love that statement. The road
to hell is paved with good intentions. Things people intend to do. And
as far as that goes, if you intend to do something, all that is
is the strength of the flesh. That works. That's what that
is. It's something you intend to do. Boast not thyself of tomorrow. Thou knowest not what a day may
bring forth. Don't hide in the past. Don't hide in the future. The thing to do is look to Christ,
believe on Christ right now. Faith is a present hope regarding
the future. Predicated on something that
took place in the past, the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's
present hope right now with regard to the future, knowing that I'm
going to stand before God, accepted and predicated on something that
is historical, something that took place in the past, the work
of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Now, I'm commanded to
repent right now. Acts chapter 17, verse 30. I'll
give you a scripture for it. Now, now, God commands all men
everywhere to repent. To change your mind. Right now. Is he speaking to
me? Are you all men everywhere? Yes,
he's speaking to you. Romans 321 says, But now the
righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being
witnessed by the law and prophets, even the righteousness of God,
which is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all
them that believe. The time is right now. Behold,
now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. And let me show you what that
looks like in the scripture. Turn with me to Romans chapter 10. Would to God that the Lord would
enable us to hear this right now. Right now. Right now. And Romans chapter
10. Verse 4, Christ is the end of
the law for righteousness. The end, the termination, that's
it. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to everyone that believeth. For Moses describeth
the righteousness which is of the law that the man which doeth
those things shall live by them, but the righteousness which is
of faith speaketh on this wise. Say not in thine heart who shall
ascend into heaven, that is, to bring Christ down from above.
Don't say in your heart, what can I do to get Christ to come
down here and do something for me? Every one of us have thought
that. What can I do to get him to do
something for me? Don't say that. He says in verse
6, or who shall ascend up into heaven? That is, bring Christ
down from above. Verse 7, or who should descend into the deep?
That is, to bring up Christ again from the dead. Don't say in your
heart, what can I do to get what he did to work for me? Don't
say it. Strike out that language, because
all that is, is looking to yourself. Don't say anything like that.
And here's what he says to the present. Verse 8, but what sayeth
it? The word is nigh thee, even in
thy mouth and in thy heart." That's pretty close, isn't it? Is it my mouth? Is it my heart? Go read him. Listen. He says
the word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart. That
is the word of faith which we preach, 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." Now, do you confess
with your mouth the Lord Jesus? He's the Lord. That means He's
the one who has absolute sovereign control. He's the Lord. If thou
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and you believe
in your heart. Now, to believe in your heart
is not just some kind of belief with a sentiment. It means the
whole man with your understanding, with your will, with your affections.
You believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.
That means more than just believing it happened. There's all kinds
of people say, I believe that Jesus Christ was raised from
the dead. But you believe why it happened. You believe he was
raised from the dead because he made complete satisfaction
to God, and all that God requires, he did. Now, do you believe that
in your heart? Well, if you do, it says you'll
be saved. And I hope somebody says, well,
if I've never believed before, I'm doing it now. Faith is in
the present, that you'll be saved. For with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness. I, with all my heart, believe
that Jesus Christ is my righteousness before God. I believe it with
my understanding. I understand that. I understand
that I have no personal righteousness, that His righteousness is my
righteousness before God. I love that. I do. I love that. I love that. with
my affection and with my will, give me the choice. Would you
rather be saved by your own righteousness or by Christ's righteousness?
That's a no-brainer. I'd rather be saved by Christ's
righteousness. With the heart, man believeth unto righteousness. Beloved now are we the sons of
God. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus, delivered right now and delivered
in the future. First John chapter three. First John chapter three. Verse one. Behold. What manner of love. The father. have bestowed upon
us, that we should be called the sons of God. Now, the world knows us not. It doesn't recognize it. The
world doesn't look at me and see, there's a son of God. The
world didn't recognize Christ as the son of God. So I don't
expect him to recognize me as a son of God. He says that. The
world knows us not because they knew him not. The world would
have no appreciation of that anyway, would they? No understanding,
no understanding of God. One of the glorious things, if
you know the gospel, the Lord's let you in on a mystery. He's
made himself known to you. He had made himself known to
the world. If you know the gospel, The world is not going to recognize
you. The world knows us not because
it knew him not. Beloved, verse 2, now are we
the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall
be. Now, I know this. I can speak with such depth of
conviction right here. I do not understand what it's
going to be like to be without sin. Can you imagine not sinning?
Can you imagine having a perfectly holy mind? Can't imagine that. That's what John's saying. We
don't know what it's going to be like when we're perfectly
conformed to the image of Christ. And this is talking about the
future, and this is the future delivered in the future. We do not know what we shall
be, but we know that when he shall appear in the future, we
shall be like him. And you know what's going to
make us like him? We shall see him as he is. And everybody that sees him as
he is, they're going to be conformed to his image. That is the blessed
promise every believer has toward the future. When I stand before
thy throne, dressed in beauty not mine own, when I see thee
as thou art, Love thee with unsinning heart, then, Lord, shall I fully
know, not till then, how much I owe. Salvation in every sense
of the word. Salvation in eternity. It's real. As a matter of fact, what do
you mean? That's silly for me to say something is real. Of
course it's real. God is eternal. And his salvation
is eternal. Salvation in the past. I'm talking
about past time. He accomplished my salvation
in the past. And everything that's happened
has been a deliverance. Deliverance. Salvation in the
past. Salvation in the present. I have a present need. I need. I love that. I need thee. Oh,
I need thee. Every hour, I need thee. Salvation right now. And salvation
in the future, we trust he will yet deliver us. And salvation
once again, we began in eternity and we're going to end in eternity. Understand that? No, no, no,
no, no. Believe it with all my heart. Let's pray.