John 10:27-29 (NASB)
“My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”
Introduction
Beloved, one of the sweetest truths in all of Scripture is the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer—commonly called “once saved, always saved.” If you have truly been born again by the Spirit of God, your salvation is not a fragile thing that can be lost by weakness, failure, or even wilful sin. It is kept by the power of God (1 Peter 1:5, NASB). Jesus Himself declared, “They will never perish.” That word “never” is absolute. It is settled forever.
But to fully grasp this glorious security, we must understand the Bible’s most comprehensive word: salvation. The Greek word sōtēria and its related forms are not limited to one moment or one aspect of redemption. Scripture speaks of salvation in three distinct tenses—past, present, and future—each referring to a different part of our being and a different aspect of sin’s dominion.
- Past tense salvation – The salvation of the spirit (a finished work)
- Present tense salvation – The salvation of the soul (a progressive work)
- Future tense salvation – The salvation of the body (a coming work)
If we confuse these three tenses, we will misinterpret whole passages of Scripture and live in unnecessary fear, doubt, or legalism. Let us examine each one.
I. Past-Tense Salvation: “I HAVE BEEN SAVED” – Justification
This is the salvation of the spirit.
At the moment you trusted Christ alone, your human spirit was born again (John 3:6-7), regenerated by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5), and you were instantly and forever delivered from the penalty of sin—both Adam’s sin imputed to you and all your personal sins.
- Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB) – “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
- Romans 8:1 (NASB) – “Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
- John 5:24 (NASB) – “Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
This salvation is instantaneous, irreversible, and depends wholly on the finished work of Christ. It is justification—God declaring the believing sinner righteous because the righteousness of Christ has been credited to him (Romans 5:1; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
When Jesus cried, “It is finished!” (John 19:30, NASB), the price was fully paid. Your spirit is sealed with the Holy Spirit as the pledge of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14). This is why we can sing with confidence, “My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more!”
II. Present-Tense Salvation: “I AM BEING SAVED” – Sanctification
This is the salvation of the soul (mind, will, emotions).
Even though our spirit is born again, our soul is still being renewed day by day. This is the ongoing process of sanctification—being delivered from the power of sin in daily life.
- 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NASB) – “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
- Philippians 2:12-13 (NASB) – “So then, my beloved… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to desire and to work for His good pleasure.”
- Romans 6:14 (NASB) – “For sin shall not be master over you…”
Notice the difference:
- Justification is an act (once for all).
- Sanctification is a process (daily growth in grace).
This is why Paul can say in one breath, “I have been crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20, past tense—positionally true) and in another breath, “Not that I have already… become perfect, but I press on…” (Philippians 3:12-14). Your standing is perfect; your state is growing.
This is exactly why Jesus “is able also to save forever those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25, NASB).
He saves us “forever” (Greek: eis to panteles—completely, to the uttermost, for all time) because the past-tense salvation of our spirit is finished and unbreakable. Our present-tense deliverance from sin’s power is guaranteed not by our grip on Him, but by His unending priestly intercession on behalf of those who have already been justified. Every promise of daily victory and progressive sanctification rests upon the unchangeable fact that we have already been saved from the penalty of sin.
Here are several glorious present-tense promises that are only possible because past-tense salvation can never be reversed:
- Romans 6:11,14 (NASB) – “Consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus… For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
→ This present-tense freedom from sin’s dominion is ours because we have already died with Christ once for all (v. 6-7). - Philippians 1:6 (NASB) – “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
→ God will keep working in us because the work He began was the new birth of our spirit—finished and irreversible. - 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NASB) – “But we all… are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory…”
→ This ongoing transformation is guaranteed because we already “have been justified by faith” (Romans 5:1) and have permanent access to behold His glory. - Jude 24 (NASB) – “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand…”
→ His present-tense keeping power is rooted in the past-tense reality that He has already “saved us and called us with a holy calling” (2 Timothy 1:9).
Every promise of daily deliverance, growth, and victory stands on the immovable rock of what Christ has already accomplished for us at the cross.
III. Future-Tense Salvation: “I SHALL BE SAVED” – Glorification
This is the salvation of the body.
One day, even these mortal bodies will be delivered from the very presence of sin. At the resurrection or rapture, we will receive glorified bodies like Christ’s glorious body (Philippians 3:21).
- Romans 8:23 (NASB) – “…we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, the redemption of our body.”
- 1 John 3:2 (NASB) – “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”
- Romans 13:11 (NASB) – “…now salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed.”
This is the final phase—when mortality puts on immortality, and sin is banished forever.
Why Understanding These Three Tenses Is Crucial
If we mix them up, we will misapply Scripture and rob ourselves of peace.
Example 1: Hebrews 6:4-6 and 10:26-29
Many read these warning passages and fear they have lost their salvation. But context shows these verses are speaking of present sanctification (falling away from growth and fruit-bearing), not the loss of justification. A true believer may backslide terribly and lose rewards, but never the gift of eternal life (Romans 11:29).
Example 2: Philippians 2:12 – “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”
If you think this refers to past-tense salvation, you will live in legalistic fear. But Paul is speaking to already-saved people (Philippians 1:1 – “saints in Christ Jesus”) and urging them to live out their sanctification.
Example 3: 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (NASB)
This passage perfectly illustrates the present-tense salvation of the soul and the future judgment of our works for eternal rewards.
Every believer builds on the one foundation—Jesus Christ. The materials we use represent two kinds of works:
- Gold, silver, precious stones = works done in the power of the Holy Spirit, by faith, for the glory of God (John 15:5; 1 Cor. 15:58).
- Wood, hay, straw = works done in the flesh, in self-effort, for self-glory, or with wrong motives (even “good” religious activity can be fleshly).
At the judgment seat of Christ, fire will test the quality of each person’s work. The fire will consume everything that came from the flesh (wood, hay, straw), but everything done through dependence on the Spirit will endure (gold, silver, precious stones). We will be rewarded in eternity only for what survives the fire—the genuine fruit of the Spirit-wrought life.
Yet notice the amazing grace in verse 15: “If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only so as through fire.”
Even if every single work is burned up and nothing remains for reward—if a believer has lived entirely in the flesh after being saved—he still escapes with his bare salvation intact. Eternal life is a free gift, not a reward.
Think of the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-43). In his last moments he turned to Jesus in faith: “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “Today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” That man had no opportunity for gold, silver, or precious stones—only wood, hay, and straw would have described any works he might have tried to offer. Yet he was saved forever, exactly as God promised. The same is true of a death-bed convert who genuinely trusts Christ moments before passing: no rewards, perhaps, but fully, eternally, irrevocably saved.
Conclusion
Dear friend, do you see the beauty of it?
- Your spirit has been saved once for all—never to be lost.
- Your soul is being saved day by day as you yield to the Spirit—guaranteed by Christ’s unending intercession.
- Your body shall be saved at the resurrection.
This is why Jesus said, “My sheep… will never perish.” This is why Paul declared, “I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to protect what I have entrusted to Him until that day” (2 Timothy 1:12, NASB).
Rest in the finished work of Christ. Walk in the present power of the Spirit. Look for the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior.
If you have never trusted Christ alone for the free gift of eternal life, do so today. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved—past, present, and future—forever.
Amen.
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