In the previous lesson, we learned that salvation can be described as "past tense" in that we "have been saved" and "have been made perfect forever" by the death of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:10-14). We have been saved from judgment, the penalty of sin, the wrath of God, condemnation, and eternity in hell. And we have received the perfect righteousness of Christ, which has made us perfect. We saw that this past tense salvation comes from the cross of Jesus Christ as Jesus died to forgive our sins, as He took the wrath of God on our behalf, and as He was condemned in our place.
Today, we want to consider how salvation is also "present tense" in that we are "being saved" daily. We have not only "been saved" from sin's penalty, but we are currently "being saved" from sin's power. Oh, how this truth of salvation from the cross of Christ rejoices my heart. I hope it does yours, too.
In lesson 10, we noticed from Ephesians 2:5-8 that we have "been saved" from our sins. Now, let us look at that same passage, and a few verses before it, to see that we are also "being saved" daily:
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience- 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved- 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,” Ephesians 2:1-8
In lesson 10, we noticed that the salvation of which this passage is speaking is that which gives life to the dead (verse 5). Today, we want to see that we are "being saved" from habitual sin (verses 1-2), from "following the course of this world" (verse 2), from "following the prince of the power of the air" (verse 2), from "disobedience" (verse 2), and from gratifying the lusts of the flesh and the desires of the body and mind (verse 3).
The death of Jesus Christ accomplished amazing things and continues to do so. I pray that this study will be a springboard to launch you into a lifetime study of the cross and its results.
For now, let's notice six things from which we are being saved, through the cross of Christ, according to Ephesians 2:1-3:
Habitual sin: Verses 1 and 2 describe how we were dead in sins and trespasses, "in which you once walked." "Walking" is active, moving in a specific direction. In this case, "walking" in sin constitutes ongoing, life-dominating sin. But the Scriptures state that the Ephesians "once walked" in sin, so they had stopped living habitual sin. Something happened, something changed, and they began "walking" and living differently. The rest of the passage describes what happened: they were saved by grace, and they were being saved from habitual sin. What a blessing it is to no longer walk in habitual sin, and this blessing comes directly from the death of Christ on our behalf.
Question 1. Which way are you walking? Have you changed direction to no longer walk in habitual sin?
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Following the course of this world": By nature, every person follows the natural course of this world. In other words, we merely drift downstream, floating along with the rest of the world, believing the world's lies, heading toward the world's demise, all the while unconcerned for the condition of our souls or where we will spend eternity. But when confronted with the cross of Jesus Christ, we see that we must alter our course; we must make an about-face. We see from the cross that our present path leads to condemnation, wrath, and death. So, we turn away from our sin, and, as we do, we discover that we are now on the "Way of Holiness" (Isaiah 35:8), no longer following the course of this world. Embracing the cross changes our direction and our destiny.
Question 2. Please consider this truth as it applies to your life. How were you once following along after the course of the world, and how, specifically, are you "being saved" from that destructive course now?
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