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Date Written: 12/22/25 Last Updated: 12/23/25


The Bible presents salvation as a comprehensive work of God through Jesus Christ, encompassing three interconnected tenses or aspects: past (justification), present (sanctification), and future (glorification). This framework is drawn from passages like Romans 8:29–30, where Paul describes believers as those whom God "foreknew... predestined... called... justified... glorified," using verbs that span time. At the center of all three is Jesus' saving work on the cross—His substitutionary death and resurrection—which pays the penalty for sin, breaks its power, and guarantees ultimate victory over it. As 1 Corinthians 1:18 declares, "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." Christians are thus called to view the cross not as a one-time event but as the ongoing source of their deliverance from sin in all its forms: its punishment (penalty), its indwelling influence (power), and its very presence in eternity.This tripartite understanding of salvation has been richly explored by theologians like C.S. Lewis, Timothy Keller, and John Piper, each emphasizing how the cross empowers believers to live in light of what Christ has done, is doing, and will do. Lewis often frames it in terms of transformation and union with Christ, Keller stresses its gospel-centered progression from penalty to power to presence, and Piper highlights its unbreakable chain rooted in God's sovereign grace. Below, I'll detail each aspect biblically while integrating their insights.


Biblically, justification refers to the past tense of salvation—"we have been saved" (Ephesians 2:8–9)—where God declares sinners righteous through faith in Christ, freeing them from the eternal punishment and condemnation sin deserves. Romans 3:23–25 explains that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith." The cross is the mechanism: Jesus bore the wrath and penalty we owed (Isaiah 53:5–6; 2 Corinthians 5:21), satisfying divine justice so that believers are acquitted and adopted as children of God (Romans 8:1: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus"). This is a completed, irreversible act at the moment of faith, not based on works but on Christ's finished work (John 19:30: "It is finished").

C.S. Lewis describes justification as a mystical, status-changing union with Christ that reverses death itself, drawing from his allegory in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He portrays it as a "deeper magic" where Christ's willing sacrifice in place of the traitor (humanity) cracks the stone table of death and works backward to undo sin's curse. In Mere Christianity, Lewis emphasizes that this justification involves being "in Christ" (Galatians 2:20), a timeless reality where believers participate in His crucifixion and resurrection, altering their identity eternally. It's not mere pardon but a profound shift from slavery to sonship.

Timothy Keller echoes this in his sermon "The Helmet of Salvation," teaching that the past tense means Christians "have been saved" from sin's penalty through Jesus' substitutionary atonement. Sin, for Keller, is ultimate separation from God, leading to guilt and deterioration; the cross removes this condemnation entirely, granting believers the same perfect acceptance as Christ Himself (Romans 8:1).  He warns against viewing it as mere forgiveness without transformation, insisting it's the foundation for all that follows.

John Piper stresses that justification is an eternal, glorious declaration of righteousness based solely on Christ's blood and resurrection (Romans 5:9: "Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God").  It's not probationary but a finished verdict, freeing believers from fear of punishment and grounding their assurance in the cross's propitiation. Piper often calls this the "horrible and glorious truth," where even 0.01% reliance on works undermines grace.

Christians should view the cross here as the great exchange: Christ's righteousness imputed to us, erasing sin's legal claim and inviting joyful gratitude rather than self-effort.


The present tense of salvation—"we are being saved" (1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 2:15)—involves sanctification, where the Holy Spirit progressively frees believers from sin's dominating power in daily life. Romans 6:6–7 states, "We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin." Though justified, indwelling sin remains (Romans 7:15–25), manifesting in habits, desires, and weaknesses; sanctification is the Spirit's work to conform us to Christ's image (Romans 8:29), empowering obedience through disciplines like prayer, Scripture, and community (Philippians 2:12–13: "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you"). The cross enables this: Christ's death crucified the "old self," and His resurrection provides resurrection power via the Spirit (Romans 6:4; Ephesians 1:19–20).

Lewis sees sanctification as the ongoing growth in holiness and character after justification, developing virtues like love, joy, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23) through reliance on God's aid, not unaided effort. In Mere Christianity, he warns, "On the one hand we must never imagine that our own unaided efforts can be relied on to carry us even through the next twenty-four hours as 'decent' people." It's a battle against sin, empowered by union with Christ, leading toward becoming "possible gods and goddesses" in glory.

Keller describes the present tense as being saved from sin's power, an ongoing "cleanup" where the Holy Spirit transforms believers despite lingering pollution like anxiety or lack of self-control. Rooted in the cross, this sanctification is gospel-driven: remembering justification fuels the fight against indwelling sin, making it a process of becoming like Christ through His indwelling presence.

Piper views sanctification as inseparable from justification—not an add-on but "the way God saves us, preserves us, brings us to glory." It's the Spirit's work to cultivate hunger for righteousness (Matthew 5:6), transforming lives as evidence of true faith, all flowing from the cross's liberation (Romans 6:22–23). Piper emphasizes that while imperfect, this process confirms the cross's efficacy, leading to God-glorifying joy.

Believers should approach the cross as the source of daily empowerment, not striving in fleshly strength but resting in Christ's victory to mortify sin (Colossians 3:5).


The future tense—"we will be saved" (Romans 5:9–10; 13:11)—culminates in glorification, when believers are fully delivered from sin's presence, receiving perfected bodies and souls in God's eternal kingdom. Romans 8:23 speaks of "the redemption of our bodies," and 1 John 3:2 promises, "We know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." This includes resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:42–44), a renewed creation (Revelation 21:1–5), and sinless perfection, free from temptation or corruption. The cross secures it: Christ's resurrection is the "firstfruits" (1 Corinthians 15:20–23), guaranteeing believers' victory over death and sin's last vestiges.

Lewis portrays glorification as deification or "theosis," where believers shine with divine luminosity, becoming like Christ in beauty and splendor. In Mere Christianity, he writes, "We do not want merely to see beauty... We want something else which can hardly be put into words—to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it."  It's the consummation of transformation begun in justification.

Keller teaches that future salvation eradicates sin's presence, granting immortal bodies, a direct vision of God, and a sin-free world upon Christ's return. This hope, anchored in the cross, acts as a "helmet" (Ephesians 6:17), protecting minds with urgency and purity (Romans 13:11–12).

Piper sees glorification as the public vindication of justification, where believers are openly declared righteous at judgment, receiving imperishable bodies (1 Corinthians 15:54). It's not a new salvation but the fulfillment of the cross's promise, where the Spirit's deposit guarantees eternal reign in life (Romans 5:17).

In summary, Christians should view Jesus' cross as the unifying thread: It accomplished justification, initiates sanctification, and assures glorification. As Lewis, Keller, and Piper concur, this breeds humble dependence, joyful perseverance, and hopeful anticipation, glorifying God in every tense of salvation.

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