Salvation: Past, Present, and Future in the Thought of Francis A. Schaeffer

The Bible records that at one point in history, humanity and the world fell from grace. Despite the apparent failure to create moral and rational beings, the coming, death, and resurrection of Christ represented a necessary victory.

Until the second coming of Christ, the absence of universal peace on earth suggests that the victory of the cross is not fully evident. However, Scripture emphasizes that believers are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, destined to proclaim the praises of Him who called them out of darkness into marvelous light.

This designation reflects God’s intention to highlight the reality of the victory on the cross during the period between the crucifixion and the second coming of Christ. (Reference: 1 Peter 2:9,10).

The passage highlights that Christians have a specific purpose in this life.

Proclaim the glory of God and highlight the victory of Christ on the cross. Simply stating correct doctrines is not enough; how those doctrines are communicated is crucial.

The Christian must not only preach the gospel, but also seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Christian life on earth must reflect a supernatural reality through faith, a life that will not be repeated in eternity.

It is the duty of Christians in every generation to be a living demonstration of the existence of God and the reality of the spiritual world.

Every Christian must be that demonstration in his own generation, contributing to a cumulative demonstration through the centuries.

Christians are called to demonstrate not only moral principles, but the character and existence of God. This calling is grounded in the power of the crucified and risen Christ and the action of the Holy Spirit working through faith.

This understanding fits into the unity of biblical teaching on the Christian career, which addresses the supernatural nature of the universe and the salvation offered by Christ.

The Christian View of Salvation

Salvation, in the Christian view, involves divine justification, in which God declares the sinner's guilt removed on the basis of Christ's vicarious work on the cross. Christ's death has infinite value and covers all sin and guilt for those who come to Him in faith.

Justification, seen from a biblical perspective, is irrevocable and absolute, since Christ took upon Himself the punishment for all the believer's sin, past, present, and future. There are no degrees of justification; one is either a Christian, justified by God, or one is not.

However, salvation encompasses more than just justification; it also includes future glorification and present sanctification.

While justification has no degrees, sanctification, which involves the believer's present relationship with God, can vary in degrees among different Christians and throughout one's personal life. Sanctification deals with the power of sin in the believer's life and can vary in intensity.

Salvation is not just justification followed by a void until death; it is a continuous unity that flows from justification through sanctification to glorification.

Biblical Passages

Scripture passages such as Romans 8:28-30 and Romans 5:1-5 demonstrate that salvation is an ongoing process that encompasses all aspects of the Christian life, not just justification. The word “salvation” encompasses the entire process of redemption, including justification, sanctification, and glorification.

Sanctification is crucial for the Christian today because it is the ongoing process of being conformed to the image of Christ. Salvation is a unity, and by accepting Christ, the believer returns to the original purpose for which he or she was created.

The Bible states that the purpose of human beings is to love God with all their heart, soul and mind, which implies genuine communication with Him.

By accepting Christ as Savior, human beings return to the original purpose for which they were created. This results in a new and living relationship with each person of the Trinity.

First, God the Father becomes the believer’s Father by adoption. Second, the believer enters into a new relationship with God the Son, known as the mystical union with Christ.

Conclusion

Finally, the believer enters into a new relationship with the Holy Spirit, who comes to dwell within him. This new relationship with the Holy Spirit is evidence of genuine Christian living and is a promise fulfilled after the ascension of Christ and Pentecost.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in us is a distinguishing mark of true followers of Christ.

Christ promised to send the Holy Spirit as a Comforter, ensuring that we would not be left orphans, for He would be with us through the Holy Spirit.

When we accept Christ as Savior, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and enter into communication with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The basis of salvation is not our faith, but rather the work accomplished by Jesus Christ on the cross. Faith is the instrument by which we accept this work of Christ.

Sanctification and security are guaranteed by the same basis, the work of Christ, but they operate at different times:

Justification occurs once and for all, while sanctification is an ongoing, moment-by-moment process. Living the Christian life through the power of Christ, through the Holy Spirit, and by faith brings joy, peace, and hope.