More insight into the Two Salvation’s

“The Scriptures set forth TWO SALVATION’S, which are entirely separate and distinct one from another. The chief difference being in regards to the time of their application; the first salvation , the “great salvation”, the heavenly calling”, which was first mentioned by our Lord at his First Advent (Heb 2:3) is applicable only to the Church and then only following Pentecost. This salvation will eventually cease with the completion of the Church at close of the Gospel Age.

The second salvation, or “common salvation”, (Jude 3), Restitution, which with the exception of the Church will eventually apply to all mankind, was designed especially for the blessing and uplift of the mankind during the Millennial Age. This salvation was never applicable to any prior to our Lord’s First Advent nor has it been applicable to any during the Gospel Age.

These two salvation’s are distinctly different as to kind, as well as respects to their plan of operation. The salvation of the Church during this Gospel Age —since Pentecost —means not only a deliverance from sin and death conditions to eternal life, but provides that the eternal life will be on the heavenly or spiritual plane and not on the earthly or human plane of existence. Thus the Apostle declares that our “inheritance is incorruptible and undefiled and fades not away and is reserved in heaven for us, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation” (1 Pet 1:4, 5). Our Lord also told that in the resurrection we shall be like unto the angels. The Apostle also declares that ultimately we shall be partakers of the divine nature and like our Lord and Redeemer.

Hence, all who participate in this salvation of this Gospel Age are scripturally spoken of as New Creatures in Christ Jesus, whose “citizenship is in heaven.” These are assured that at the Lord’s Second Coming they will constitute the First Resurrection class. They are guaranteed that only the blessed and holy will have part therein, and that all participating in that First Resurrection will be Royal Priests unto God and unto Christ, and reign with him a thousand years (Rev 20:6). They are assured that the transformation of minds which they now experience through the begetting of the Holy Spirit will, in their resurrection; result in a complete transformation, providing them with spirit bodies. Thus it is written of their resurrection, “It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory; It is sown an animal body; it is raised a spiritual body” (1 Cor 15:42-44). Of those who will share in the Church’s salvation the Apostle says, “We shall not all sleep, but must all be changed,” because “flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God” (1 Cor 15:50, 51).

The world’s salvation which will follow will be wholly different from this. It will NOT include a change of nature from earthly to spirit nature. It will mean a rescue from sin and death to the earthly perfection of the original man, in the image and likeness of his Creator, and surrounded by every necessary blessing for his comfort. Human perfection and the Eden home were lost through disobedience to God. The Divine arrangement is that the merit of our Lord’s obedience unto death, when ultimately applied for mankind, shall fully cancel the death sentence upon him. More and better than this, God has promised that the same Sin-Offering shall seal a New Covenant between himself and mankind. The blessings of that New Covenant arrangement will then immediately begin. The great Redeemer will thenceforth be the great Mediator of that New Covenant. The whole world of mankind will be fully under his supervision and government for their blessing, their correction in righteousness, their uplifting out of sin and death conditions—back, back, back (or as some of us like to say, ‘Up, up, up, the Highway of Holiness), to all that was lost in Eden. All of this was the original design of the Great Creator. All of this will be outworked through the Great Redeemer. All of this was secured or sureties by his death, finished at Calvary. (Heb 7:22)

The Apostle Peter, pointing down to that glorious time of the world’s blessing, calls it “times of refreshing and times of restitution.” He tells us that all the holy prophets described the blessings of those restitution times —the thousand years, the Millennium (Acts 3:19-21). When once we get the eyes of our understanding opened, we find the Apostle’s words thoroughly corroborated by the Divine records, which describe the wonderful blessings that are to come when the earth shall yield her increase. Then Paradise Lost shall be Paradise Regained. Then God will make his earthly footstool glorious. Then the blessing of the Lord shall make rich and he will add no sorrow therewith. Then streams shall break forth in the desert and the wilderness and solitary places shall be glad. But most glorious will be the change in humanity.

The Lord promises to turn to the people a “pure message” —instead of the contradiction of creeds of heathenism and Churchianity. He promises that Satan shall be bound for that thousand years that he may deceive the nations no more. He promises that then all the “blinded eyes shall be opened and all the deaf ears shall be unstopped” (Isa 35:5; 2 Cor 4:4)

TWO SALVATION’S — ONE SAVIOR

Both of these salvation’s, according to the Bible, result from the death of Jesus our Redeemer, who died in obedience to the Divine will, “Died, the Just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Pet 3:18). The Scriptures clearly show not only the two salvation’s, but also two parts of the Redeemer’s work, distinctly separating his work for the Church from his work for the world. In his death there was a Divine general provision for the sins of the whole world and a special provision for the sins of the Church. The two thoughts are frequently brought out in the Scriptures. One text distinctly declares, “He is the propitiation [satisfaction] for our sins [the Church’s sins], and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” His death constituted the satisfaction price. The Redeemer applied that merit for the Church’s sins, “for us,” long ago, eighteen centuries before we were born. Only when we became believers and entered into a Covenant of sacrifice did we obtain our share in the merit of that great sacrifice. The world has not yet received its share of that promised blessing, but the operation of the Divine Plan is sure and will bring it to them “in due time,” as the Apostle Paul declares (1 Tim 2:6).

TERMS OF SALVATION DIFFER

Of course, these different salvation’s imply different terms or conditions. God’s requirement of Adam, that he might continue to live forever and everlastingly enjoy Divine favor, his Eden Home, etc., was obedience to reasonable, just requirements. It was his violation of the Divine Law that brought upon him the sentence of death— “Dying thou shalt die” —with all that this has implied to him and his posterity of mental, moral and physical decline, weakness, death. The requirement of God for the world of mankind during the Millennial Age will similarly be —obedience to God’s just, reasonable regulations, laws. Whoever then will render obedience may with proportionate rapidity go up on the highway of holiness toward perfection at its end. Whoever refuses obedience to the extent of his ability will fail to make progress and ultimately die the Second Death, from which there will be no redemption and no resurrection.

Such obedience as will be required of mankind in the great Mediator’s Kingdom will include their cooperation in the resistance of their own fallen weaknesses. It will include the exercise of patience and kindness towards their fellow-creatures, fellow-sufferers. The Divine Law of love to God with all the heart, mind, soul, strength and for the neighbor as for one’s self they must learn fully. As they will realize their own blemishes and strive to overcome them and ask, not the Father, but the Mediator for forgiveness, they will be obliged to follow the Divine rule of exercising towards others similar mercy and forgiveness to that which they desire for themselves. But they will not be required to enter into a covenant of self-sacrifice, self-denial, or etc. All the blessings of God on the earthly plane will be for them fully and freely to use and enjoy, in harmony with the Divine regulation.

The conditions governing the salvation of the Church are wholly different from those which will appertain to the world. The Church is called out of the world under a Divine invitation to suffer with Christ in the present life and during this Gospel Age and then to reign with Christ during the Millennial Age, participating in his Mediatorial Kingdom for the blessing, uplifting, salvation of the world. It is not in vain, therefore, that our Lord and the apostles, in setting forth the call of the Church during this Age, specified particularly and frequently the necessity for all who would share in this salvation to participate with the Redeemer in his sacrificing, in “his death,” and consequently participate in “his resurrection” and in his reign of glory. Hark to the words, “Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life;” “To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my Throne;” “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27).

Let us remember our Lord’s words to the disciples James and John, respecting a place in His Millennial Throne. He intimated that the getting to the Throne at all, in any place, would imply great humility and self-sacrifice. He asked the disciples, “Are ye able (willing) to drink of the cup that I shall drink of and to be baptized with the baptism (into death) that I am baptized with?” (Mark 10:38) Hearken again; this cup of which he tells us we must drink, if we would sit in his Throne, is his communion cup. It is offered, not to the world, but to his consecrated followers. It is not another cup, but “My Cup.” The invitation was, “This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Drink ye all of it” (Matt 26:28, 27) It must all be drunk before the many, the world, can get their share of the intended blessing through the New Covenant, which this blood seals. And only the Disciples of Christ, only those who desire to walk in his steps, are invited to drink of that cup. All of them are so invited and they will drink all of it. None of it will be left for the world during the Millennial Age to drink. It is a special privilege to drink of this cup. With the drinking of it goes the special blessing of the special salvation of this Gospel Age. Except we eat of his flesh (appropriate the merit of his sacrifice), and unless we drink his blood (join in sacrifice with him), we have no life in us —inherent life, immortality.” (Harvest Gleanings 2, Page 769)