Unlimited: Our Salvation is Nearer Now
Sep 18, 2023 444
because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed (Romans 13:11c.)
This verse doesn’t refer to our salvation from sin; or in other words, to how we have eternal life. This happened at the Cross. Instead, Paul is referring to the second coming of Jesus, at which time we will be saved from our weak and sinful bodies.
Before his return to heaven, Jesus promised that he would come again (John 14:1–3; See also Acts 1:10–11) to take those who believe in him to be with him forever. This will be the time when God’s kingdom would be restored, not just in substance (as it was at the Cross), but in glory.
The salvation Paul is referring to is the second coming of Jesus, at which time we will be saved from our weak and sinful bodies.
The first believers didn’t expect that the wait would be long. They expected, following the victory of the Cross, that the final victory over all evil in the world would happen quickly. They never expected that the wait would be more than 2,000 years.
It is in this context that the apostle reminds us that “our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” This is just as true today as it was for the first believers. When we wake up, we can look forward to every day with joy, knowing that it brings us closer to the day when we will see Jesus with our own eyes.
Spiritual Application
What is the Bible promise for the future that you most love? Write it out on a slip of paper or a small card. Put it in your Bible, and read it every time you open the Word of God.
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