A Threefold Salvation

Richard Thetford

In 1 Timothy 4:10 we read "For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe." We strive to do our best for the Lord because we know that we have been blessed with a threefold salvation. The three salvations are from the grave (John 5:28), past sins (Matthew 1:21), and eternal life (Hebrews 5:9; 1 Peter 1:5). But these salvations have terms.

The salvation from the grave is an unconditional salvation. Jesus said: “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth — those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28-29). To gain salvation from past sins requires us to hear the gospel of our Lord and to persevere in these things (1 Timothy 4:16). We must also have faith (Mark 16:16; Acts 16:31), and once we have faith in Jesus Christ we must realize that salvation can only come to those who are truly sorrowful for their past sins and repent from them (2 Corinthians 7:10). We then confess Jesus as being the Son of God (Romans 10:9-10), and as an act of our obedience to keep all the commandments of the Lord we then are to be baptized INTO Jesus Christ (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21). The third term of salvation is a life long commitment of obedience to Christ. The Hebrew writer writes: “And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9). We need to always hold fast to the Word of God as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:1-2. Salvation has terms that go with it. Are you keeping the terms of God's commandments?