Is the salvation Scripture speaks of just God’s offer to save us from hurt after we die? While we can know an assurance of forgiveness and a delivering release from condemnation in a moment does salvation have a further purpose for our life in this world? Why is our salvation a developmental process?
Enslaving Perceptions
Most passages in Scripture relate the pros and cons of following God’s guidance during this life. We are continually reminded that our lives can improve under our heavenly Father’s guidance. This is true for us personally and as gathered people – as fellowships and as nations.
When God delivered the mixed multitude out of Egyptian slavery, they had lived as slaves for four generations. (a) [See endnotes for Scriptures] Their experience conditioned them to think as slaves and depend on overlords for basic needs. As a free people they needed to transition from the mentality of dependent servants to thinking and living as a triumphant and productive people. (b)
While they wanted to be free from oppression, their previous perception of life became a problem. Scripture reveals there were specific perceptions that kept the delivered people from experiencing the full benefit of their saving freedom:
After deliverance, Scripture says God spoke audible words that everyone heard. (c) While they had just heard God speak, previous beliefs kept them from accepting this new experience. So they appointed Moses to mediate their interaction with God. (d) Notice the three basic perceptions that hindered their entrance into the fullness of salvation God offered:
- They believed God only spoke to special people, not to everyone
- They wanted God’s help but shunned interaction with His Presence
- Their experience and beliefs complicated their ability to accept fresh insight
During their journey into the full provision of salvation, God provided abundant evidence to their natural senses that they could count on Him. God miraculously brought water out of a rock, food from the sky (quail and manna), even showed them they could be victorious in warfare. (e) Deliverance only began their process of walking in faith into the fuller benefits of God’s salvation.
Following an amazing deliverance, they maintained their enslaving mindset. (f) Their previous experience kept them from entering and enjoying the full benefits of salvation. Thus, that generation failed to adjust what they understood about God and the ongoing process of salvation.
Yes, God mercifully cared for them while they maintained their enslaving perceptions but they lived and died in a fruitless and unproductive wilderness. This highly recognized Old Testament example of salvation illustrates it includes much more than a freeing deliverance.
We are continually reminded that life can improve under our heavenly Father’s guidance.
Understanding the Stages of Salvation
As Israel of old, our transformation into the productive people God desires us to be can be delayed by previous understanding. Do we really believe “God is in our midst” as an enabling source of growth? (g) Unfortunately, many today tend to embrace similar views that complicate further participation in salvation’s development, such as:
- Too often we tend to think God only speaks to special people, not to me
- We want God’s miracles but are hesitant to accept His transforming insights
- Belief is restricted to earlier perceptions and understanding, as if new light is not available
Do any of these perceptions strike a chord with you? 
Current perceptions can complicate our acceptance of fresh light and new understanding. God intends for all people of faith to be free ‘and’ live productive lives. So, how do we let go of these incorrect perceptions and allow God to transform and guide us?
The New Testament points to three transforming stages of salvation we can know in this life. Each facilitates maturing processes intended to lead and guide us into more of God’s intention for life.
- We hear God’s delivering call to be free of oppressive ideas that restrict our lives
- We personally respond to God’s voice and begin discarding enslaving ideas and perceptions
- We progressively mature as children who are free to worship and prosper under His oversight
As we are released from the enslaving perceptions that overlords promote, our receptive response to God’s guidance enables us to transform into better images and likenesses of His heart. (h) This is why Scripture says “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (i) The transformation process helps uproot inappropriate thoughts and desires so we can freely live in the manner God intends.
God intends for all people of faith to be free ‘and’ live productive lives.
“Be-Being”
Our heavenly Father is clearly the “author (originator) and perfecter (completer)” of our salvation. (j) It is God who delivers us from bondage to the deathly perceptions inherited from our Garden of Eden parents, from the ill perceptions we develop as children, and the teachings we receive from educators and religions. Salvation is God’s merciful initiative to bring us into a full fellowship with His presence, so we can freely live, worship, and prosper.
Scripture is clear – salvation is more than a one-time event that “has” happened. The New Testament Greek actually says “we are be-being saved” as an ongoing process. The phrase “shall be saved” is really not a past or future tense as our Bibles indicate.
The Greek reads more like a current ongoing process: “And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord is being saved.” (k) Having been “justified by His blood, we are being saved.” (l) Additionally, “the one who endures to the end, he is being saved.” (m) We want to realize salvation is an engaging and ongoing process.
During this life, we can choose to receive or ignore His guidance. He wants each of us to be-being transformed into better character, attitude and personality (CAP) traits that the words and life of Jesus illustrated. Salvation is never accomplished in one swooping confession or action. We transition out of old thoughts, perceptions, outlooks, and expressions as new beginnings.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be (be-being) transformed by the renewing of you mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (n)
God’s salvation is a life-long process of bringing us into clearer modes of thinking and activity. While “God is at work in us” we want to give ourselves to the process of responding to His presence and “work out our salvation.” (o) We are all in processes of development, learning to think, feel and act as God intends, rather than living as dead people. (p)
In God’s eyes, we are all special people and can receive the fresh insight His presence desires to share. We are more than inheritors of a future salvation and can enter the abundant blessings God provides today. “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ.” (q)
How well are we transforming from old perceptions and habits into the light God is providing in our day? Are we waiting for a future event or season? Do we negate spiritual sensitivities and ignore what God is saying and doing now? Let us become more consistent and partake of God’s fuller salvation today!
Salvation is God’s merciful initiative to bring us into a full fellowship with His presence, so we can freely live, worship, and prosper.
a) 1 Chronicles 6:1-3; b) Exodus 13:17; c) Deuteronomy 4:10-12; d) Exodus 20:18-22; e) Exodus 16:12; 17:6; 17:8-12; f) Numbers 14:3-4; g) Matthew 18:20; 28:20; Hebrews 13:5-8; John 8:12; h) Genesis 1:27; Colossians 1:15; i) Romans 121:2; j) Hebrews 12:2; Titus 1:3; 3:4-6; k) Acts 2:21; l) Romans 5:9; m) Mark 13:13; n) Romans 12:2; o) Philippians 2:12-13; p) Matthew 8:22; Luke 9:60; q) John 17:3;
Keith Carroll, “The Relationship Guy”
Relational Gospel Founder
Created To Relate author