Salvation from Sin’s Corruption
This is our third essay dealing with our eternal salvation from sin.
In the previous two essays we considered salvation from sin’s
condemnation and salvation from sin’s bondage. In this essay we will
consider salvation from sin’s corruption. II Cor. 1:10 connects these
three aspects of salvation from sin together: “Who delivered us from so
great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet
deliver us.” The writer indicates a past deliverance, a present
deliverance, and a future deliverance. All three deliverances are
brought about by God. Jesus died to redeem us from sin’s condemnation
(past deliverance). The Holy Spirit quickens us (causes us to be born
again) to deliver us from sin’s bondage (present deliverance). Jesus
Christ is coming again to deliver us from sin’s corruption (future
deliverance).
This future deliverance from sin’s corruption shall take place in the
resurrection of the dead. I Cor. Chapter 15 is abundantly clear in
describing our deliverance from sin’s corruption. We quote the
following verses to show the change that will take place in our mortal
bodies in the resurrection:
1. V.42 ‑ “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in
corruption; it is raised in incorruption.
2. V.43 ‑ “It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory…”
3. V.43 ‑ “It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.”
4. V.44 ‑ “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.”
5. V.49 ‑ “As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also
bear the image of the heavenly.”
6. V.53 ‑ “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this
mortal must put on immortality.”
Thus the resurrection is the time our mortal bodies will be delivered
from sin’s corruption as Paul wrote in I Cor. 15:54‑57, “So when this
corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have
put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is
written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy
sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and
the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We make the following
observations about this deliverance from sin’s corruption:
1. It is brought about by the power of God.
2. It is the gift of God.
3. The victory is through the covenant work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
4. It is the final ultimate victory over sin, death, the grave, the
devil, and hell for God’s elect.
When Paul said that the body is raised in glory, he thus tied the
resurrection to the covenant of redemption as set forth in
Rom. 8:29,
30, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many
brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and
whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he
also glorified.” Thus, we are brought to the conclusion that all three
aspects of salvation from sin (salvation from condemnation, bondage, and
corruption) are tied to this covenant whereby God purposed before the
world began to predestinate the elect to be conformed to Jesus Christ.
In all three aspects we are brought to the conclusion that eternal
salvation from sin is by the grace of God and not by any work of man.
This is in harmony with the words of God recorded in Isa. 63:5, “I
looked and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to
uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation to me; and my fury, it
upheld me.”
In our next essay we will begin to consider the many timely
deliverances to God’s children that are promised to them thru their
faith and obedience to God’s word. Now these deliverances do not alter
or change what God has done in bringing about the eternal salvation from
sin’s condemnation, bondage, and corruption. God’s eternal salvation
stands for an eternity, but he has also given us (the elect of God) the
prospect of many timely deliverances.