The Fullness of Salvation 9

The Fullness of Salvation

Christ is entering the members of His Body in the present hour, preparing each of us for the fullness of God. He is casting out what does not belong in the eternal Temple of God, in the Wife of the Lamb.

The entering of God into us will continue to increase until the fullness is revealed at the time of the appearing of Christ in the clouds of glory. We are growing together until the fullness has been attained to and received.

There are at least seven aspects of the Christian salvation:

THE FULLNESS OF SALVATION

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)

The Apostles of the Lamb pointed toward the fullness of our salvation as coming in the future, maintaining that what we have now is a guarantee, a deposit on what is to be presented in full at a later time. We have been purchased by the blood of the Lamb and sealed by the Spirit of God. These constitute a pledge, a guarantee concerning future acts of redemption.

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest (pledge) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13,14)

Peter speaks of the future salvation:

Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (I Peter 1:5)

Our inheritance, our redemption, our salvation, our restoration, is reserved in Heaven for us. It is ready to be revealed in the last days.

Our redemption will come from Heaven in the end-time as a series of Divine acts. We can notice in the following passage that the promises of the Prophets concerning salvation will be fulfilled in their appointed times and seasons:

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution (restoration) of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:21)

Only those believers who are watching carefully in prayer will partake of the "latter rain" outpourings (Zechariah 10:1)—the spiritual "comings" of the Lord (compare John 14:18-23). The parable of the ten virgins, for example, may be portraying one of the comings in the spirit realm.

The Lord will come in judgment and revival glory before His appearing in the clouds.

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. (Hosea 6:3)

Those who are living in the flesh, trusting they will be drawn up to meet the Lord when He appears in glory, may discover in that day that redemption had come previously and they had not been watching. They have been carrying their Bible under their arm but resurrection life has not been dwelling in them.

This is what happened to Israel when Christ came the first time. This is what may happen to many present-day Christians when Christ comes in the clouds of glory.

The Lord has His ways of concealing His Glory from the rebellious and spiritually proud and showing His intentions to those who tremble at His Word and seek His face diligently.

We cannot "accept Christ" and then wait to die and go to Heaven. There always is a present burden of the Holy Spirit, a movement toward the full deliverance of the elect. There is something to do now, in the Lord.

Let us consider, for a moment, the scope of the redemption in Christ. There are at least seven aspects of the Christian salvation:

Salvation from guilt to forgiveness.

Salvation from spiritual death to eternal life.

Salvation from spiritual bondage to spiritual freedom.

Salvation from disobedience to obedience.

Salvation from Satan’s image to Christ’s image.

Salvation from emptiness to fullness.

Salvation from bodily corruption to bodily incorruption.

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