The Saved

1 Cor 1:18 For the story and message of the cross is sheer absurdity and folly to those who are perishing and on their way to perdition, but to us who are being saved it is the [manifestation of] the power of God. AMP

The rescue mission, located on one of the city's most rundown avenues, is surrounded by dingy bars and crumbling buildings. It looks like a concrete bunker. In fact, its gray features are so nondescript that it would be difficult to tell what kind of building it was—if it weren't for the large cross that juts out from its side. At night, the outline of the cross glows in red neon, blinking out the message emblazoned at its center: "Jesus Saves." In a way, this rescue mission, along with those who stumble into it for help, provides a living example of Paul's message in 1 Cor 1:18. Its sputtering neon sign underscores the theme of this verse: Jesus saves by the power of the Cross.

Because of their tradition of philosophic inquiry and a long history of great orators, the Corinthians had difficulty accepting this message. To them, its most embarrassing feature was its emphasis upon the cross, an instrument used to execute criminals, slaves, and those who were traitors to the state. Roman citizens were exempt from this form of punishment. Those who died on the cross were stripped naked and subjected to public humiliation. The very fact that they suffered in such a way was itself testimony of the shame and powerlessness of those who were crucified. Yet Paul's message maintained that in Jesus' case the cross was actually a display of divine power. To Corinthian understanding, this seemed like nonsense.

Moreover, Paul's style of delivery did not seem eloquent enough for the Corinthians, especially when compared with some of the other speakers who had visited the church (1 Cor 1:12; 2 Cor 10:10). To the Greek mind, the manner of delivery was almost as important as the message itself. This expectation of eloquence had been shaped by many who had followed in the tradition of the famous Greek orators like Demosthenes (384-322 B.C.), who was said to have locked himself away in his study for weeks at a time practicing his speeches, and who cured himself of a stammer by speaking with pebbles in his mouth. He also recited poetry while running uphill, in order to develop greater breath control.

But the apostle Paul seemed to deliberately shy away from these finer points of rhetorical technique: "When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I re- solved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor 2:1-2).

Ultimately, however, it was not Paul's style that kept others from seeing the value of his message, but their spiritual state. Paul's message seemed foolish to those who lacked the insight given by the Holy Spirit to those who are in Christ. They were spiritually dead and therefore spiritually blind. It was a diagnosis of their standing before God. It is, in fact, a diagnosis of all of humankind's standing before God since sin first entered the picture.

When Adam was placed by God in the Garden of Eden to tend it, he was told that it was permissible to eat of all the trees in the garden except one. He was not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil: ". . . for when you eat of it you will surely die" (Gen 2:17). Unfortunately, Adam did eat of the tree and he did die. His physical death wasn't until several hundred years later, but, spiritually speaking, the effect of his disobedience was immediate. As soon as he disobeyed God, Adam was overtaken with a sense of shame and alienation. He hid from God and tried to shift the blame for his actions to his wife, Eve (Gen 3:7-12).

This is what Paul means when he says that his message seems like foolishness to those who are perishing. Because they are alienated from God by sin, those who are perishing cannot appreciate the value of Christ or His work. They are in the throes of spiritual death, of which physical death is only a symptom.

On the other hand, Paul says that those who accept the message of the cross are being saved. It is significant that Paul uses the present tense for both cases. Those who reject the message of Christ are perishing. Those who accept the message are being saved.

When the New Testament speaks of the believer's salvation, it does so in three tenses: past, present, and future. We have been saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved.

The New Testament speaks of salvation in the past tense and says that the salvation of those who have trusted in Jesus Christ is an accomplished fact (Rom 8:24; 2 Tim 1:9). Jesus has completed the sacrifice for sin that God required, and nothing can be added to or subtracted from what He has done. In this respect, those who are now in Christ are as saved as they will ever be.

But at the same time, Paul uses the present tense when he speaks of salvation in 1 Cor 1:18, where he speaks of salvation as something that the believer is currently undergoing. Because Christ's work also leads to a gradual transformation in the believer's life, one that is brought about by the Holy Spirit, it can legitimately be said that we are in the process of being saved. Those who are being saved know the power of the cross on a personal level. For them, the cross is more than a symbol of an historical event that they look back upon with gratitude. For them, it has daily impact (Gal 2:20).

There is also a future dimension to salvation. The work of Christ on the cross has been completed, but the believer's experience of redemption has not. We have been saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved. We will be saved from God's wrath through Christ (Rom 5:9), and our personal salvation will be completed when we are resurrected (1 Cor 15:52-54).

The statement that "Jesus saves" is so familiar to those who know Christ that it has almost become a cliché. We say it and sing it without thinking much about its implications. It sounds so old-fashioned that we may even feel a bit embarrassed when we pass by the rescue mission and see its bright message beaming in the dark. But we should not, for it summarizes our hope and defines who we are in Christ. We are the saved. We are those who have been saved and are resting on the finished work of Christ. We are those who are now being saved and daily walk in the transforming power of the living God. And we are those who look forward to being saved, with the confidence that the shed blood of Jesus will shield us from the wrath to come.

Heavenly Father, never let me fail to see the glory of the simple truth that Jesus saves. Use me to share this message with others. Open the minds and hearts of those who hear it. Amen.

Thanks to John Koessler for allowing us to publish his material.www.johnkosessler.com

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John Koessler serves as chair and professor of pastoral studies at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. He is married to Jane and has two sons, Drew and Jarred. John is the author of ten books and numerous articles. He also serves as a contributing editor for the Moody Bible Institute publication Today in the Word, where you can read his monthly “Theology Matters” column. You can contact John via email at John.Koessler@moody.edu or by phone at (312) 329-4077.