Our Salvation Is Not Complete?

I read chapters 8 and 9 of Hebrews last night, and I must say there some neat stuff in these 2 chapters. Yet I was struck, or inasmuch reminded of something that I saw in vs. 28 of chapter 9. So Christ having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him-- Hebrews 9:28 Now look at the last part of the verse is what struck me. We are eagerly awaiting His second arrival so that we can be saved. So what does that mean? Didn't Christ already save us? Didn't He already save us from God, namely the cup of His wrath, and from the curse of sin we were under? He certainly has. But why is coming again to save us? What from? His suffering and death on the cross was sufficient. He appeased the Faher's wrath, the same wrath that was reserved for us; so he certainly isn't coming again to save us from the Father's wrath, because He already did so. So what does He have to save us from this time? To answer I go to Romans 7. Starting in verse 15 onward Paul is expressing a struggle that's going on inside of him. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate (vs. 15). Then go a bit further a couple verses, For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. (vs. 19). Yet we have to be sure not to miss what Paul says near the end of the chapter. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (vs. 24) The he goes on to answer his own question the following verse which concludes the chapter. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (vs. 25a).

So there it is! The answer to our question earlier. This body of death that we're still in is what Jesus is gonna save us from when He arrives again. When He comes again, He is going to tranform our lowly, eathly bodies to be like His glorious body (Phil 3:21). We are still in the flesh, therefore we are prone to wonder, still prone to sin. The first time Jesus came, he did so to die on the cross, and rise 3 days later from the grave, thus saving us. This doesn't mean that we no longer sin. No! He saved us from the Father's wrath (which we justly deserve) and the curse of sin the first time. Which means is that there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Also that we are no longer dead in our sin, and slaves to sin (see Romans 6). Sadly there are those who believe that once they are saved that they are sinless, meaning that they will sin no more, but that doesn't come to accord with the Scriptures, namely what Paul says in Romans 7.

Let me remind you of the resposibility we have of fighting sin and the desires of the flesh. Before we were in Christ, we loved to sin. We were basically swimming in it. Now that we are in Christ we have a new heart with new desires. We no longer desire to do evil, committing sin after sin. We now have a hatred for sin, but despite that we are still prone to it, cause we are still in then body of death. We are called to put to death what is earthly in us (Col 3:5), and put on the new self created in the likness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph 4:24).

So let me conclude with a word on encouragement to you all, my brotehrs and sisters. Keep pressing on toward the goal (Phil 3:14), and fighting the good fight of faith ( 1Tim 6:12). Going all out in the war against sin, cling to Christ, our hope, who is coming again for us. On that day my dearly beloved our salvation will be complete! Oh what glorious day it will be!