Elder Vernon Johnson

 

 

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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