Salvation viewed eschatologically (The Victor's Mentality 46)

You’re welcome to today’s article reading. By God’s grace, I shall be continuing from where we stopped in the last article.

I have been sharing on the Helmet of Salvation as an armour we need to put on to keep winning in life and ministry. And in the last article, I shared how the Holy Spirit, through the instrumentality of the saving grace we have received, teaches and trains us to live soberly, godly, and righteously in this world.

In today's article, we will be looking at the helmet of Salvation viewed eschatologically.

“But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.” (1 Thessalonians 5:8 NKJV)

When we view salvation eschatologically, which means salvation is not only about the present protection as I have shared previously, but it is also about our future assurance. 

There are three dimensions we view salvation from: we have been saved (from the penalty of sin), we are being saved (from the power of sin), and we will be saved (from the presence of sin).

The beauty of this is that these three dimensions of salvation are secured for us because they have already been paid for through the blood of Jesus. What Christ accomplished is complete and sufficient. Our spirit has already been made alive in Him, and on that basis we have confidence in what God has done, what He is doing, and what He will yet do. So the past, present, and future aspects of salvation all rest on the finished work of Christ.

Therefore, when we talk about our hope of future salvation, it is not a wish, but a certainty grounded in the cross of Christ. We have already been saved from the penalty of sin.

I believe if I asked an average believer what it means to be saved from the penalty of sin, many would say to be saved from hell, and even though they are right, the main penalty of sin is to be separated from God. When we say that we have been saved, we are saying that the middle wall of partition has been removed, the enmity has been removed, and now we have been justified. So the devil has no legal ground against us to oppress us, condemn us, and afflict us.

Also, I spoke about the truth that we are being saved from the power of sin. The dimension where salvation is actively working in us. This reflects what we have described as Soterion, salvation at work in the believer’s life. The Holy Spirit begins to guide, guard, and train our minds to exercise the victory we have in Christ over the deeds of sin. As we yield to His work, sin loses its mastery over us, and we grow in a life where we are increasingly separated from sinful patterns.

And now I am talking about the truth that we will be saved from the presence of sin.

The reality is that as long as we are in this world, the presence of sin will still be around us. No matter where we go even within the church, we still live in a fallen world where sin exists. But we have a blessed assurance that a day is coming when we will dwell in God’s presence bodily, where we will be completely free from sin and every encounter with it. In that state, sin will no longer surround us, influence us, or confront us. We will no longer have to navigate the broken systems, injustices, and evils that characterise this present world. Instead, we will live in the fullness of God’s presence, in a state of complete redemption and purity. This is what it means to view salvation eschatologically. 

When we look again at the Scripture in 1 Thessalonians 5:8, we see Apostle Paul calling us to be sober. Do not forget that this is one of the things the Holy Spirit teaches us through the instrumentality of His saving grace. This should be the believer’s default posture, the sobriety of heart and mind. It keeps us steady and watchful so that we do not lose focus or live as though everything ends here and now.

Apostle Paul also reminds us that we are children of the day. That means we have spiritual sight; our world has been illuminated by the light of Christ. We are not short-sighted or blind to the hope of our salvation. We see beyond the present age and so we fix our hearts on what God has provided for us.

You see, the devil will try to occupy your heart with the events of the here and now, so that a person begins to live as though they only belong here. Your focus becomes only your job, your income, and the daily concerns of life, and other details of life. You become preoccupied with pursuing wealth and other temporary things that will pass away with this world.

When the heart is filled only with present concerns, the hope of salvation begins to fade from view, and the believer can lose eternal perspective. That is why Apostle Paul is saying you have to wear it as a helmet. We must not allow the enemy to take your focus from Christ and what he has done. What he has done is that he made a provision for us that will deliver us from the present evil world.

The helmet of hope of our final salvation is to guard our minds, especially in times of pressure, suffering, and spiritual conflict. You know that whatever it is, as believers, you don’t lose. There is a perspective that rubs on you that you don’t fear anything. It protects your mind from despair, doubt, and discouragement that the devil is trying to throw at you.

In the next article, we will continue on that note by God’s grace. Brethren, prayerfully meditate on these things.