Elements of salvation [text only]

Sunday sermon on the Epistle to Timothy (1 Timothy 4:9-15)

In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.

“We have placed our hope in the living God, Who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”

Christians can be a little exclusivist. We believe that our God is only our God, and no one else’s. He belongs to us, He listens to us, He grants us our wishes, He punishes the bad people that annoy us.
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Yet, Saint Paul says that God is the Savior of all people. Does he mean all all, or all Christians? Is God the Creator and Ruler over all creation, or just us Christians?

​The answer is, of course, all-all people. All people are God’s creation, all people walk on the earth He made for them, all people are saved by Him.

Saint Paul says that God is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. Isn’t that kind of a contradiction? How can someone be saved if they do not believe?

That’s because there are actually three different elements to salvation: salvation from death, salvation from sin, and salvation from demonic rule.

Two out of these three elements of salvation are universal – everyone gets them. It’s like Oprah when she was giving away the cars. Everyone gets a car; everyone is saved.

When Paul says that all people are saved, he means that all people that have ever lived, just for being conceived, just for showing up, are saved from death and from demonic slavery. It doesn’t matter whether they believe in God or not; they are saved because He created them.

We are saved from death in that death no longer has the final say over our souls. Death’s dominion has been overturned. That’s why we say that at the Second Coming everyone will be resurrected, not just the believers, but everyone. If everyone is saved from death, then everyone will physically resurrect. And everyone will face the Judge. Death still exists, but it has lost its sting. It is powerless.

And just like everyone was under the power of death, so every human being was in slavery to the demonic powers. These demons that had a hold over humanity were once angels that were appointed by God to govern different aspects of creation. But in their disobedience and revolt against God, and their desire to replace Him in our lives, they were removed from those positions. And Christ took over it all. As He says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matthew 28:18). Everyone is affected by the deliverance from the demonic powers because they have been replaced; they no longer help God govern over creation.

The third element of salvation – salvation from sin – is a bit different. It is open to all, but unlike the other two elements, it requires our response, namely repentance. Hence, the reason Saint Paul qualifies that God is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

If we believe, we will repent. If we repent, we are saved from sin. And it’s not a one-time event. I can’t declare that I believe, that Jesus is my Savior today, and go on living as if everything will be roses. Belief, faithfulness, and repentance are continual – they are done and re-done and repeated daily, hourly even.

In case anyone thinks that getting 2 out of the 3 is good enough, it’s not. Everyone is saved from death and demons, but that on its own does not put us on the right path; that does not provide for us a proper relationship with God. And life itself is a relationship with God.

Take the hero of today’s Gospel lesson, for example. Zacchaeus was a rich and established tax-collector. He was hated by basically everyone, but who cares, he had the cash. And if he continued living in that way, he still would have gotten 2 out of the 3 – salvation from death and demons.

But he would not have become a better person in any aspect of that word. Somehow, he realized that for all the money he had, he was lacking something. He was lacking the fullness of faith, the fullness of salvation.

What he promised to do is the perfect example of repentance. He didn’t just say, “Oops, Lord, I’ve been bad.” He said, “Half of my possessions, which I got by reaping others off, I will give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will repay four times as much.” He went above and beyond anything even what the Jewish Law prescribed.

And in response Zacchaeus heard, “Today salvation has come into this house.”

Two out of the 3 is not enough. Even the pagans get 2 out of the 3. We want the whole thing; we want the fullness of salvation. We want an intimate relationship with the Lord; we want to be among His saints.

Two out of the 3 means that we were lucky enough to be conceived and be born. The whole thing means that we are the children of God.

It’s all available to everyone, even salvation from sin. All we need to do is repent, become uncomfortable with our sinfulness, realize that we are lacking something … and repent – turn away from sin and turn towards God.

Do not settle for anything but the whole thing. God is the Savior of all people, especially the faithful. Be the faithful.

And give all glory, honor, and worship to the One Who is willing to save us, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, always, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
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Amen.