The Penalty, the Power, & the Presence

I was just doing a quick read of the first chapter of the book of Romans when I came across an astute commentary in my NKJV study Bible.

Regarding verse sixteen:

The New Testament speaks of salvation in the past tense (Eph. 2:8), the present tense (2 Cor. 2:15), and the future tense (Mat. 5:10-12).  In the past, the believer has been saved from the penalty of sin.  In the present the believer is being saved from the power of sin. In the future, the believer will be saved from the very presence of sin.

That is just fantastically put; and quite helpful actually.

I have understood for a long time that we were saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved, but the three P’s (penalty, power, & presence) really put that into perspective.

Here are those verses written out:

We were saved in the past from the penalty of sin.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. ~ Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

We are being saved in the present from the power of sin.

For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ~ 2 Corinthians 2:15 (NIV)

We will one day be saved from the very presence of sin.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” ~ Matthew 5:10-12 (NIV)

[Photo by Sea Turtle]

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