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Salvation
from Sin's Corruption
This is our third essay
dealing with our eternal salvation from sin. In the
previous two essays we considered salvation from sin's
condemnation and salvation from sin's bondage. In this
essay we will consider salvation from sin's corruption. II
Cor. 1:10 connects these three aspects of salvation from sin
together: "Who delivered us from so great a death, and
doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver
us." The writer indicates a past deliverance, a present
deliverance, and a future deliverance. All three
deliverances are brought about by God. Jesus died to redeem
us from sin's condemnation (past deliverance). The Holy
Spirit quickens us (causes us to be born again) to deliver
us from sin's bondage (present deliverance). Jesus Christ
is coming again to deliver us from sin's corruption (future
deliverance).
This future deliverance from
sin's corruption shall take place in the resurrection of the
dead. I Cor. Chapter 15 is abundantly clear in describing
our deliverance from sin's corruption. We quote the
following verses to show the change that will take place in
our mortal bodies in the resurrection:
1. V.42 ‑ "So also is
the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it
is raised in incorruption.
2. V.43 ‑ "It is sown in
dishonor; it is raised in glory..."
3. V.43 ‑ "It is sown in
weakness; it is raised in power."
4. V.44 ‑ "It is sown a
natural body; it is raised a spiritual body."
5. V.49 ‑ "As we have
borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image
of the heavenly."
6. V.53 ‑ "For this
corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must
put on immortality." Thus the resurrection is the time
our mortal bodies will be delivered from sin's corruption as
Paul wrote in I Cor. 15:54‑57, "So when this corruptible
shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have
put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying
that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death,
where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The
sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ." We make the following
observations about this deliverance from sin's corruption:
1. It is brought about by
the power of God.
2. It is the gift of God.
3. The victory is through
the covenant work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
4. It is the final ultimate
victory over sin, death, the grave, the devil, and hell for
God's elect.
When Paul said that the body
is raised in glory he thus tied the resurrection to the
covenant of redemption as set forth in Rom. 8:29, 30,
"For whom he did foreknow, 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: and whom he called, them
he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also
glorified." Thus we are brought to the conclusion that
all three aspects of salvation from sin (salvation from
condemnation, bondage, and corruption) are tied to this
covenant whereby God purposed before the world began to
predestinate the elect to be conformed to Jesus Christ.
In all three aspects we are
brought to the conclusion that eternal salvation from sin is
by the grace of God and not by any work of man. This is in
harmony with the words of God recorded in Isa. 63:5, "I
looked and there was none to help; and I wondered that there
was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation
to me; and my fury, it upheld me."
In our next essay we will
begin to consider the much timely deliverance to God's
children that are promised to them thru their faith and
obedience to God's word. Now these deliverances do not
alter or change what God has done in bringing about the
eternal salvation from sin's condemnation, bondage, and
corruption. God's eternal salvation stands for an eternity,
but he has also given us (the elect of God) the prospect of
many timely deliverances.
NEXT -
Salvation
from
Ignorance
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