Salvation has THREE Tenses

[Sower]

After reading Michael Legna's response to my phrase-by-phrase exposition of Eph. 2:8,9 it seems like we should look at the three tenses of salvation: past, present, and future.

In Romans 8:30 we read: Moreover, whom He did (1) predestinate, then He also (2) called: and whom He called, them He also (3) justified: and whom He justified, them He also (4) glorified. Without getting into a discussion about predestination and what it really means, we can clearly see that justification is distinct from glorification.  

JUSTIFICATION
Justification is the "past tense of salvation".  The sinner is justified -- "declared righteous by God" -- the moment he or she believes.  Believers have already been declared righteous -- PERFECT -- by God.  It is not simply that we have been declared "not guilty".  That would be enough.  God has gone one step further and declared us "PERFECT" -- "Ye are COMPLETE [PERFECT] in Him" (Col. 2:10). That's why we can say with confidence "If I died tonight, I would be in heaven [not purgatory]".

GLORIFICATION
Glorification is the future tense of salvation. Since we are still in our mortal bodies and subject to sin, disease, death and decay, we are not yet glorified.  But we will be WHEN WE SEE CHRIST FACE TO FACE.  This will be at the Rapture (1 Cor. 15:51-57; Col. 3:4; 1 Thess.4:13-18; 1 Jn. 3:1-3), when we are glorified and receive perfect, immortal bodies which are not subject to the limitations of time and space. We will be transported to heaven in a microsecond! From then on our bodies, souls, and spirits will bE PERFECT!

SANCTIFICATION
Sanctification is the present tense of salvation. The word "sanctification" comes from the Latin "sanctus" which means "holy" and is translated from the Greek hagiasmos which also means holy, or "SEPARATED UNTO GOD OR SET APART FOR GOD [AND THEREFORE HOLY]". It follows that if we are separated "unto" God then we must be separated "from" sinful and evil things and ways, even while we pursue "good works":

"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that DENYING UNGODLINESS AND WORLDLY LUSTS WE SHOULD LIVE SOBERLY, RIGHTEOUSLY, AND GODLY, in this present world" (Tit.2:11-12). This is how we are "being saved" from the world, the flesh, and the devil.

James combines holiness and good works thus: "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction [GOOD WORKS], and to keep himself unspotted from the world [HOLINESS].

Something that we should be clear about is that it is not we who are "becoming gooder" but God who is transforming us by His mighty power:

"Wherefore my beloved, as ye have always obeyed... WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING, FOR IT IS GOD WHICH WORKETH IN YOU BOTH TO WILL AND TO DO OF HIS GOOD PLEASURE" (Phil. 2:12,13).  We "work out" our salvation by allowing the Holy Spirit to "work out" all the sin and evil out of our lives. Thus there's no room for boasting.

As we can see, if we don't clearly understand the three tenses of salvation, we might also fall into the errors of Roman Catholicism, in which man always has to add "a little something" to what God has already finished. The fundamental error of Rome is ADDING TO GOD'S WORD. THe fundamental error of theological liberalism is SUBTRACTING FROM GOD'S WORD.  The fundamental error of the cults is PERVERTING GOD'S WORD. All misunderstand salvation.

[michael_legna]

After reading Michael Legna's response to my phrase-by-phrase exposition of Eph. 2:8,9 it seems like we should look at the three tenses of salvation: past, present, and future.

In Romans 8:30 we read: Moreover, whom He did (1) predestinate, then He also (2) called: and whom He called, them He also (3) justified: and whom He justified, them He also (4) glorified. Without getting into a discussion about predestination and what it really means, we can clearly see that justification is distinct from glorification.  

JUSTIFICATION
Justification is the "past tense of salvation".  The sinner is justified -- "declared righteous by God" -- the moment he or she believes.  Believers have already been declared righteous -- PERFECT -- by God.  It is not simply that we have been declared "not guilty".  That would be enough.  God has gone one step further and declared us "PERFECT" -- "Ye are COMPLETE [PERFECT] in Him" (Col. 2:10). That's why we can say with confidence "If I died tonight, I would be in heaven [not purgatory]".

GLORIFICATION
Glorification is the future tense of salvation. Since we are still in our mortal bodies and subject to sin, disease, death and decay, we are not yet glorified.  But we will be WHEN WE SEE CHRIST FACE TO FACE.  This will be at the Rapture (1 Cor. 15:51-57; Col. 3:4; 1 Thess.4:13-18; 1 Jn. 3:1-3), when we are glorified and receive perfect, immortal bodies which are not subject to the limitations of time and space. We will be transported to heaven in a microsecond! From then on our bodies, souls, and spirits will bE PERFECT!

SANCTIFICATION
Sanctification is the present tense of salvation. The word "sanctification" comes from the Latin "sanctus" which means "holy" and is translated from the Greek hagiasmos which also means holy, or "SEPARATED UNTO GOD OR SET APART FOR GOD [AND THEREFORE HOLY]". It follows that if we are separated "unto" God then we must be separated "from" sinful and evil things and ways, even while we pursue "good works":

Based on the title of your post I eagerly opened it hoping to learn some new Greek tenses or grammar.  Unfortunately I was met by someone interpretation of english wods outside the noraml accept usage of all others who speak the English language.

Justification is not salvation.
Glorification is not salvation.
Sanctification is not salvation.

and your calling them that does not change the fact.

Justification is the act by which a person is accepted by God or made worthy of salvation.  It is not salvation itself.

Sanctification, as you showed, is the process of making something holy, or in otherwords setting something aside strictly for the use of God.  Notice Romans 8:30 does not list Sanctification as something God does for us.  It is our decision and an offering of ourselves to God, for His purposes, as a means of thanking God for the free gift.  It is not salvation itself.

Glorification is, as you showed, our conversion from our earthly shells to our heavenly bodies.  It is the reward for being saved it is not salvation itself.

Something that we should be clear about is that it is not we who are "becoming gooder" but God who is transforming us by His mighty power:

"Wherefore my beloved, as ye have always obeyed... WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING, FOR IT IS GOD WHICH WORKETH IN YOU BOTH TO WILL AND TO DO OF HIS GOOD PLEASURE" (Phil. 2:12,13).  We "work out" our salvation by allowing the Holy Spirit to "work out" all the sin and evil out of our lives. Thus there's no room for boasting.

Could you provide a scripture that shows that the Holy Spirit works out our salvation?  Because Phil 2:12-13 certainly doesn't say that - that is something you added.  I mean really when was the last time you heard about the Holy Spirit working anything out with fear and trembling?  Also Rom 8:30 doesn't say anything lilke that.

But lets get back to your proposed idea.  If there are three tenses of salvation then linguistically there must exist its counterpoint, the state of being when one is not justified, or when one is justified but not sanctified, or when one is justified and sanctified but not glorified - that implies salvation is a process.  Certainly we can see that last issue as even if we accept your definitions we can tell that we are not currently glorified even though we could be justified and sanctified.  One could even see the idea that there is at least a moment where one is justified but not yet sanctified.  So the concept is plainly visible.  So one has to ask - What if one of the tenses no longer applies?  Does that person no longer qualify as being saved?  Te answer has to be yes.  So it is clear that your use of the grammatical term and concept of tenses just can't be forced on this subject with these terms and remain consistent with your own doctrine.  And if you can't use these ideas of tenses of salvation then the verse you choose to prove your point does not apply.