Salvation Is Active

“But the salvation of the righteous [is] of the LORD: [he is] their strength in the time of trouble.” (Ps 37:39 AV)

Not ‘in the LORD’ or ‘by the LORD’.  Our salvation is of the LORD.  This makes the tense present.  Salvation is not something that only happened in the past.  Nor is salvation reserved for the future.  The salvation of the LORD is an ongoing state of being.  The salvation of the LORD is active.  It has never failed and remains in force.  The saint is in the constant state of being saved.  That begs a question.  From what are we being saved?  The list is long.  We are being saved from trouble.  According to the verse above, our lives would be far worse if the LORD was not in the process of saving us from trouble.  Some of that trouble is sin.  Some of the trouble is persecutions.  Some of that trouble is doubt, fear, anxiety, etc.  In short, the salvation of our LORD is always a part of our lives and no matter how deep the waters might feel, they could be immensely deeper.

As young parents, we were very involved in the lives of our children.  We were always there, no matter the event of life.  Either together, or separately, my wife and I were part of our children’s lives.  Sometimes, they were completely unaware.  My sons attended a Christian school.  This school had issues.  It opened its doors to the lost world as outreach.  I don’t recommend that.  The pastor was a man who felt it was his calling to humiliate strong-willed boys without the consent or participation of the parents.  To keep our sons safe, both my wife and I taught in that school.  We could keep an eye on things.  Sometimes directly.  Sometimes from a distance.  Even when they were not aware, we saw everything.  Several times, what we saw was a problem, and we had to speak to the principal and pastor.  On one such occasion, one of my sons was a target of a forward girl.  She was lost and didn’t understand proper behavior.  My son was oblivious to the potential hazard.  Rather than embarrass our son, we informed the high school principal of what was going on.  My son’s salvation was ongoing.  There was always an eye out for my boys, whether it was me, my wife, or other teachers we had recruited.

Salvation is constant.  We are saved from hell.  Praise the LORD for the offering of Christ!  We are also saved from the old man.  This is a process.  Over the length of our lives, we are learning to crucify the flesh with the lusts thereof.  We are saved from persecution that could be and only suffer that which God knows we can handle.  When it comes to trials of faith, we will not be tempted above what we are able.  We are saved from adversity that is too much to bear.  We are saved from doubts and fears as we study the word of God and choose to believe it.  We are saved from the Adversary because if we resist him, he will flee from us.  We are saved from far more than we will ever realize.  Perhaps eternity will reveal some of that which God saved us from.  This is a great encouragement.  Knowing life could be infinitely more overwhelming or trying means, whether I can see it or not, I live on victory’s ground.  Currently, as we type or read, you and I are winning more battles than we are losing.  We simply cannot see all that God does.  But His salvation IS.  Not will be or was.  His salvation IS FROM Him!  Praise the LORD!