A Divine Paradox!

The Bible is full of things that seem contradictory to the doubtful mind. It is only as we come to God to have Him reveal the meanings of the many parables and mysteries that we fully understand what they are really saying. For example, Romans 8:9-10 says: (NLT)

, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

We depend on this scripture to have complete confidence that we are saved, on our way to heaven. Yet we find in 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NLT):

The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

What does this mean, “being saved”; aren’t we saved once and that’s it?

Well this is what looks like a contradiction, when in fact we must understand that just reading a couple of verses won’t give you the same understanding as that of reading through the entire Bible. For by rightly dividing the word of God we find that we are saved and being saved – all at the same time. By the finished work of Calvary we are saved and our eternity is secured. Yet, day-by-day we are being saved or sanctified by the power of God. Oswald Chambers puts it this way:

“Sanctification means being made one with Jesus so that the disposition that ruled him will rule us. It will cost everything that is not of God in us.”

That day we gave the preacher our hand, and Jesus our heart may have secured us a place in heaven, but thank God that is not the end of the story. For the rest of our lives we are in the dressing room, putting on Christ and taking off that part of us that is not like Him. Thus we are in fact saved from hell and damnation, but we are being saved from the things of this world that prevent us from being like Christ. We are being “conformed into the image of God’s dear son“(Romans 8:29)! We then can be a blessing to ourselves and others, and a vessel fit for the master’s use to our King!

Maria