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Page 1: VARIOUS PASTORS, TEACHERS, PROFESSORS, AND COMMENTARIES …lighthouseclass.org/dev/media/notes/The_Three_Tenses_of_Salvation.pdf · VARIOUS PASTORS, TEACHERS, PROFESSORS, AND COMMENTARIES

VARIOUS PASTORS, TEACHERS, PROFESSORS, AND COMMENTARIES ON THE

SUBJECT OF THE THREE TENSES OF SALVATION

Dr. Norman Geisler - Salvation does not end with a single act of justification; this is only the first stage, by

which one is saved from the penalty of sin. Salvation also involves a lifelong process of sanctification, by which

we are saved from the power of sin. At death, our redemption climaxes with an act of glorification that saves us

from the very presence of sin. At this point we will see God face-to-face (in the Beatific Vision) and become

like Him, for then we shall see Him as He is.1

Dr. Earl Radmacher - The New Testament speaks of salvation in the past tense (Eph. 2:8), the present

tense (2 Cor. 2:15), and the future tense (13:11). In the past, the believer has been saved from the penalty of sin.

In the present, the believer is being saved from the power of sin. In the future, the believer will be saved from

the very presence of sin (see Matt. 5:10–12; 8:17; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Tim. 2:11–13; Rev. 22:12).2

Nelson’s Bible Commentary - The salvation that comes through Christ may be described in three tenses:

past, present, and future. When people believe in Christ, they are saved (Acts 16:31). But we are also in the

process of being saved from the power of sin (Rom. 8:13; Phil. 2:12). Finally, we shall be saved from the very

presence of sin (Rom. 13:11; Titus 2:12–13). God releases into our lives today the power of Christ’s

resurrection (Rom. 6:4) and allows us a foretaste of our future life as His children (2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:14). Our

experience of salvation will be complete when Christ returns (Heb. 9:28) and the kingdom of God is fully

revealed (Matt. 13:41–43).3

The ESV Study Bible - God’s plan is to save his people from their sins—and to bring his people fully and

finally to himself (Matt. 1:21; 2 Tim. 2:10). Christians experience salvation in this life in both a past and present

sense, and we anticipate salvation in a future sense. Christians have been saved from the penalty of our sins; we

are currently being saved from the power of sin; and one day, when God’s plan of salvation is completed and

we are with Christ, we shall be like him, and we shall be saved even from the very presence of sin. This is

God’s plan of salvation.4

Dr. Charles Ryrie -The inclusive sweep of salvation is underscored by observing the three tenses of

salvation. (1) The moment one believed he was saved from the condemnation of sin (Eph. 2:8; Titus 3:5). (2)

That believer is also being saved from the dominion of sin and is being sanctified and preserved (Heb. 7:25). (3)

And he will be saved from the very presence of sin in heaven forever (Rom. 5:9–10).5

1 Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers,

2004), 256.

2 Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version

(Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1997), Ro 1:16.

3 Ronald F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, and R. K. Harrison, Thomas Nelson Publishers, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible

Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1995).

4 Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2503.

5 Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago, IL: Moody

Press, 1999), 318–319.

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New Dictionary of Biblical Theology- God’s salvation encompasses the past, the present, and the future.

Past deliverance points forward to present and future deliverance, which in turn look back to and are based on

past deliverance.6

The New American Commentary - Three tenses of salvation can be discerned in the New Testament:

Christians have been saved, are being saved, and one day shall be saved. The later eschatological sense of full,

final, and complete salvation in the sense of deliverance from all sin and punishment is in view here. The author

of Hebrews characteristically sees salvation more from a futuristic perspective as that which God will ultimately

confer on his people. Ellingworth correctly noted sōtēria is one of those nouns that has embedded within it two

possible semantic aspects. It may mean the act or state of being saved (the predominant sense in the New

Testament), or it could mean the message about salvation, which best fits the context and its use in Heb 6:9.7

Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society - It is common in many Christian circles to speak of the

“tenses” of salvation as a way of helping us to understand three uses of the terms “salvation” and “save” in

Scripture. The “past tense” of salvation speaks of our deliverance from the penalty of sin. The “present tense” of

salvation is our deliverance from the power of sin. And the “future tense” of salvation is our deliverance from

the presence of sin. Romans 13:11 can be easily identified as the future tense of salvation. From the perspective

of Romans, it may be beneficial to conceive of salvation in each context as a victory over the power of sin.

Sometimes it refers to a positional victory over its enslavement, sometimes a present experience of victory over

sin’s power, and finally the complete victory over every aspect of its power at the resurrection.8

Donald Grey Barnhouse - OUR THREEFOLD SALVATION

Let us look at passages which mention all three phases, beginning with Hebrews 9:24–28. Verse 25 tells us

that Christ “has appeared … to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” That was His work on Calvary. Verse

24 says that Christ entered Heaven “now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” Now He is our Priest

and Advocate. Finally, since “it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ,

having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear, a second time, not to deal with sin but to save

those who are eagerly waiting for him” (verses 27–28). Then “we shall be like him” (1 John 3:2).

The three tenses of salvation were taught by Paul to the believers at Thessalonica. Reviewing their spiritual

history, he says, “You turned to God from idols [past], to serve a living and true God, [present] and to wait for

his Son from heaven,” the anticipation of salvation yet to be accomplished (1 Thess. 1:10).

Peter also groups these three phases of salvation in one wonderful sentence. He reminds his readers that “we

have been born anew … through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet. 1:3); we “by God’s

power are guarded through faith,” even though our entire Christian life may be a fiery trial. The future,

however, is as bright as the promises of God, for past redemption and present protection are to the end that we

enter into “salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pet. 1:5). This is the salvation “that is nearer to us

than when we first believed.”

Our past tense salvation is justification provided for us by God through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This salvation was God in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself. Christ described it in the moment of His

dying by saying, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Our present tense salvation is sanctification. It is the work of God

for us through the Holy Spirit. Now it is comfort in time of sorrow, consolation in time of bereavement, strength

6 T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S. Rosner, eds., New Dictionary of Biblical Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity

Press, 2000).

7 David L. Allen, Hebrews (The New American Commentary; Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2010), 194.

8 Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society 12, no. 2 (1999): 15–16.

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in time of weakness, forgiveness in time of sin, and grace for every need. Our future tense salvation is

glorification, and of this our text speaks. “Now our salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed.”

There are two aspects of future salvation, although I shall confine myself to the discussion of only one. In

passing, however, let us note that human society will one day be sinless. This state will be achieved not by

education, science, or political manipulation, but by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ when He comes again.

However, our primary consideration here is the future salvation of believers. Since God deals with the whole

man, we shall discuss the future of our threefold being: physical, mental, and spiritual.9

Warren W. Wiersbe So, in one sense, we have the three tenses of salvation given here: we have been

saved from the penalty of sin (righteousness); we are being saved from the power of sin (sanctification); and we

shall be saved from the presence of sin (redemption). And every believer has all of these blessings in Jesus

Christ!10

Did you notice that the word “appear” is used three times in Hebrews 9:24–28? These three uses give us a

summary of our Lord’s work. He has appeared to put away sin by dying on the cross (Heb. 9:26). He is

appearing now in heaven for us (Heb. 9:24). One day, He shall appear to take Christians home (Heb. 9:28).

These “three tenses of salvation” are all based on His finished work.11

Believer’s Bible Commentary It has often been pointed out that there are three tenses of salvation: (1) A

Christian was saved from the penalty of sin the moment he first trusted the Savior (Eph. 2:8). (2) He is saved

daily from the power of sin as he allows the Savior to live His life through him (Rom. 5:10). (3) He will be

saved from the presence of sin at the time of the Rapture (Heb. 9:28). His body will be changed and glorified,

and be forever free from sin, sickness, and death. This future tense of salvation also includes the time when the

saints will return to earth with Christ and will be clearly shown to be children of God (1 Jn. 3:2).12

J. Vernon McGee on the Three Tenses of Salvation

Salvation comes in three tenses. (1) We have been saved. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my

word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath [right now] everlasting life, and shall not come into

condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). That means that God has delivered us from the

guilt of sin by the death of Christ. That is justification, and it is past tense. (2) God has also delivered us from

what the old theologians called “the pollution of sin,” which is present deliverance. We are being saved. It is a

deliverance from the weaknesses of the flesh, the sins of the flesh, the faults of the mind, and the actions of the

will. This is the present deliverance that Hannah is talking about. It is sanctification and is in the present tense.

(3) Finally there is the deliverance from death in the future—not physical, but spiritual death. “Beloved, now

are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we

shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). This is a future deliverance. We shall be saved.

9 Donald Grey Barnhouse, God’s Discipline: Romans 12:1–14:12 (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing

Company, 1964), 147–148.

10 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary (vol. 1; Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 572.

11 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary (vol. 2; Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 312.

12 William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments (ed. Arthur Farstad; Nashville: Thomas

Nelson, 1995), 2252.

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That will be glorification, which is future tense. We have been saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved.

Hannah was rejoicing in her salvation.13

Clarence Larkin – Rightly Dividing The Word Salvation is a “threefold process.” It begins in

“Justification,” proceeds through “Sanctification,” and ends in “Glorification.” Titus 2:11–13. So we can say

that we are saved, that we are being saved, and that we will be saved.

1. We are saved from the PENALTY of Sin - This we get by “Faith.” Faith leads to our JUSTIFICATION.

“Therefore being JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Rom. 5:1.

The word “Justification” is a legal term and means to declare not guilty. It can best be defined by an illustration.

We will suppose that a man has been charged with murder and tried and found guilty and been sentenced to die.

Before the hour of execution a man appears at the prison and asks to see the Sheriff, to whom he hands an

official document, which when the Sheriff reads he finds to be a pardon. The man at once is set at liberty and

walks out of the prison a free man, but not a justified man for the guilt of the crime still remains on him. He is

simply a pardoned CRIMINAL. On the other hand we will suppose that the condemned criminal was really

innocent, having been condemned on circumstantial evidence, and that before the date set for execution the real

murderer surrenders himself to the Sheriff and produces evidence that he is the real criminal. What then must

the Sheriff do? He cannot any longer hold the first man, for he is not guilty, he therefore sets him free, and he

walks out of the prison a JUSTIFIED man because he is innocent of the crime charged against him. That is the

legal meaning of “Justification” and that is the Scriptural meaning. Here is the “Mystery of Salvation.” It would

be impossible for an innocent man to satisfy the law, for while he might take the criminal’s place he could not

take his GUILT. But this is what Jesus Christ does. “He hath made Him to be SIN FOR US, who know no sin:

that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Cor. 5:21. The moment a sinner accepts by faith the

Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour he is JUSTIFIED. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my

word, and BELIEVETH on Him that sent me, HATH EVERLASTING LIFE, and shall not come into

condemnation (Judgment), but IS PASSED from death unto life.” John 5:24. The result of Justification is that

we have peace WITH God. Rom. 5:1. We must distinguish between “peace WITH God,” and the “peace OF

God.” Phil. 4:7. Here an illustration will best serve our purpose. We will suppose that during the Civil War

President Lincoln had issued a proclamation that any person in rebellion against the Government would be

pardoned the moment that, coming from the South, he should step over the “Mason and Dixon Line.” Suppose

such a person had crossed the line at 12 o’clock midnight unknown to himself, at once he would have been at

peace WITH the Government, but not knowing that he had crossed the line he continued on in fear of arrest and

imprisonment until, as the day began to dawn, he realized that for hours he had been safe. What joy and peace

of mind would then fill his soul. So the very moment we accept with saving faith the Lord Jesus Christ as our

Saviour we have “peace WITH God,” but it may be days, weeks, and even years before we know this, and have

the “peace OF God” that passeth all understanding. ……………………………………………………………...

2. We are saved from the POWER of Sin - When the angel announced to Joseph that Mary was to have a son,

he said—“Thou shalt call his name JESUS; for He shall save His people from their SINS.” Matt. 1:21. So we

see that Jesus is not only a Saviour from SIN, but also from SINS. From our daily besetting, or as the colored

preacher said, upsetting sins. Writing to the Philippians Paul said—“Work out your own salvation with fear

and trembling, for it is GOD WHICH WORKETH IN YOU both to WILL and to DO of His good pleasure.”

Phil. 2:12–13. Now this does not mean that we are to be saved by our works. It means that having received

Salvation through faith we are to now work it out. That is, having been saved from the “Penalty” of Sin, we

13 J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: History of Israel (1 and 2 Samuel) (vol. 12, electronic ed.; Nashville:

Thomas Nelson, 1991), 19–20.

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must work to be delivered from its “Power.” And in this, though we do it with fear and trembling, conscious of

our own weakness, we will be aided by God, for it is God who worketh in us, to WILL and DO of His good

pleasure. What we need to do then is to co-operate with God in His work of Sanctification, to let Him will and

do in us what is necessary to save us from the “Power” of Sin. The revelation of sin is progressive. It is not until

after conversion that we really begin to realize what sin is. When you awake in the morning twilight you see a

few conspicuous articles of furniture. As the light increases you see taking form the pictures on the wall and the

toilet articles on the dressing table; but it is not until the sun is up that you see smaller articles as pins, pieces of

thread and particles of dust. When we came to Christ we were conscious of a few sinful habits. We gave them

up. But as we grew in grace other things in our lives were seen as wrong and laid aside. And so it has gone on.

Things that we did five years ago we would not do today, and what we do today, we will not do five years from

now. Writing to the Corinthians eighteen years after his conversion, Paul said—“I am not meet to be called an

Apostle.” 1 Cor. 15:9. Six years later he wrote to the Ephesians—“I am less than the least of all saints.” Eph.

3:8. And five years later he wrote to Timothy—“I am the chief of sinners.” 1 Tim. 1:15. What was the matter

with Paul? Had he grown worse? No, he only realized more than ever his own sinfulness. Paul never professed

complete sanctification. He said that he was not “already perfect” or had “attained” unto that for which he had

been “apprehended by Christ,” but he was “reaching forth” and “pressing toward” the mark. Phil. 3:12–14.

From this we see that Sanctification is a progressive act, and that our complete deliverance from the “Power” of

Sin will not be until the death of the body, though we may have to a large extent “Victory over Sin” if we

surrender absolutely to the “Will of God,” and permit Him to will and to do of His good pleasure in us.

3. We are to be saved from the PRESENCE of Sin - Jesus died on the Cross to save our soul from death, He

is coming back to complete our salvation by redeeming our body from the grave, or to change it into an

immortal body at the Rapture. Not until then shall we be saved from the “Presence” of Sin. So we see that

Salvation is a “threefold process.” That it begins in “Justification” and ends in “Glorification.” Justification

being instant and complete deliverance from the “Penalty” of Sin; “Sanctification” being a progressive

deliverance from the “Power” of Sin, and “Glorification” our final deliverance from the “Presence” of Sin.14

14 Clarence Larkin, Rightly Dividing the Word (Philadelphia, PA: Clarence Larkin, 1921), 189.