Salvation unto New Jerusalem (3A)
The initial stage of our salvation, our cleansing and regeneration, has eternal efficacy. It begins the on-going second stage including freeing us from indwelling sin, Christ making home in our hearts, and the Spirit’s sanctifying, renewing, and transforming work. These experiences continue through our entire Christian life, taking us onward toward New Jerusalem. Then:
The completing stage: …In this stage God will redeem our fallen and corrupted body (Rom. 8:23) by transfiguring it into the body of Christ’s glory (Phil. 3:21); conform us to the glorious image of His firstborn Son (Rom. 8:29)….In this way our body will be freed from the slavery of corruption of the old creation into the freedom of the glory of God’s new creation (Rom. 8:21). *
For this, “we eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). He is our Savior in the first and second stages and He is the Savior we await for this concluding stage. This will occur when the Lord Jesus comes to rapture both the dead believers and those still alive. This is presented in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17.
Our transfiguration is also set forth in 1 Corinthians 15:49, 51-54; a change from an earthly image to a heavenly image, from corruption to incorruption, and from mortality to immortality. This change will conform us to the eternal glory of New Jerusalem.
* This continues from post 2A and 2B’s quotes from footnote 5 on 1 Peter 1:5 in the The Holy Bible, Recovery Version, published and © by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim CA, 2003. A New Testament of this Bible, with outlines for each book, 9000 footnotes, 13,000 cross references, and other study aids, is available in multiple languages for free from Bibles for America, Bibles for Canada, Bibles for Europe, Bibles for Australia, Bibles for New Zealand.
