What Everyone Should Know About Being Saved!

"Unto Us Who Are Saved"

Chapter Seven

"Unto Us Who Are Saved"

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18 

Here is a scripture some would use to prove that being "saved" is a final transaction and every believer who confesses Christ is saved to heaven and cannot be "unsaved." This is supposed to be powerful Gospel preaching which delivers everyone who confesses Christ to the portals of heaven. 

There was the case of a minister from a Bible seminary who came through a local neighborhood. All seminary students were required to go door to door with a message something like this: "If you were to die today, do you know if you would go to heaven?" One person answered he did not wish to preempt God in judgment and humbly said, "God is my judge, and I cannot and will not judge my own case before God." The seminary student said, "What kind of weak faith do you have? Here and now I can guarantee heaven for you." He told the person if he offered this prayer he would be guaranteed heaven. It reads:

"Dear Jesus: I know I'm a sinner. I know I cannot save myself. I know you died on the cross for my sin. I ask you to come into my heart, and forgive my sins, and take me to heaven when I die. Amen."

Regrettably, this type of preaching is going on almost everywhere in person, on radio and on television. Quoting one or two verses of the Bible, preachers are offering free tickets to heaven, while leaving out vast numbers of Bible verses that suggest other needed qualifications. This type of preaching is very popular in today's easy virtue society. Who can prove them wrong for offering a free passage to heaven? It satisfies the emotional longing for security to believe that with an easy confession, such as, "I accept Jesus as my Savior," heaven is certain. Jesus never offered heaven on such a simple basis. Remember how he discouraged the nobleman whom he loved from eternal life by making the terms difficult?

What shall we say about Paul's words, "unto us which are saved?" (1 Corinthians 1:18) Here we find the translators are a little too relaxed. They evidently believed in the theology that you are either "saved" or you are not "saved." However, the Greek, [sozo] "saved" used here means clearly "being saved." It is not a forever-accomplished fact, but an ongoing process. 

The New American Standard Bible, Green's Interlinear Greek English and most accurate modern translations support the thought of an ongoing salvation for "being saved." Quoting the entire verse from the New American Standard Bible, we read, "For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." How beautiful is this correct reading. Some may not like it because it robs them of "saved" to heaven as an accomplished fact. Everyone seeking the truth of God's Word must have a good, honest heart and strive to understand and harmonize the Bible.

This verse speaks of "being saved" as an ongoing process that will ultimately lead to a heavenly reward. It is not a finished fact, as the King James Version would suggest. The individual who remains a footstep follower of the Master may hope for a heavenly reward. The word "saved" when expanded upon may have the connotation of heaven. Three other verses imply that heaven is the ultimate meaning of saved. The heavenward journey starts with "remission of sins" and the gift of the "Spirit," but the end of the Christian journey is to "live and reign with Christ."

"For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved [Greek, being saved, Green Interlinear Bible*], and in them that perish [Greek, being lost, Green Interlinear Bible*]" (2 Corinthians 2:15).

Translators ignored the literal requirements of the Greek and chose "saved" and "lost" as a foregone conclusion. Careful evaluation of what the Scriptures say helps avoid wrong conclusions. Christians are "being saved" when saved includes the development of holiness and putting on the mind of Christ. Outside of Christ, the world is "being lost" or perishing. This means people are dying. Does it mean they are beyond God's grace? No. They perish when they go down into the grave, but all in their graves "shall hear his [Jesus'] voice, and shall come forth" (John 5: 28, 29). The resurrection of the dead provides a future day of salvation for the world.