Romans 8:24-25 (NLT) “24We were given this hope when we were saved. If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.”
In Romans, Paul presents the idea that salvation is past, present, and future.
It is past because we were saved when we believed in Jesus Christ as our Savior and took Him on in baptism. Our new life begins with Him at that moment! Our salvation is also present because we are continuously being forgiven and cleansed of our sins through Christ’s blood. But at the same time, we have not fully received the benefits and blessings of salvation that will be ours when Christ’s new kingdom is completely established. That is our future salvation!
While we can be confident of our salvation, we still look ahead with hope and trust toward our future reward, we when will be with Christ!
Ephesians 1:18 (NLT) “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called – His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance.”