"Living Out Salvation"

"Thou, which hast shown me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth." (Psalms 71:20) If you were unaware of this, it's really not your fault, because depending on your schooling in the Bible, not all teachers teach the same thing. There are basically three parts to our Salvation in Christ; actually, come to think of it, there are basically three parts to everything; but that's a topic for another day. Within our Salvation, we have 'Justification,' Sanctification' and 'Glorification.' We experienced the 'Justification' part the moment we were born again; and we continue walking in that same reality, because Jesus is making intersession for us. The 'Sanctification' part is being lived out in us day by day, as the Holy Spirit brings us closer and closer to the that place where we belong; this is also referred to as 'Salvation' in the Bible, as a present tense experience, which means that we are living it out in our daily lives. And 'Glorification' is pretty much self-explained; if you reach this part of your Salvation, then you have died and gone to heaven; otherwise, you are still leaning how to be saved! Basically, the point of this is simple: you were saved the day you received Christ as your Lord and Savior, but you continue to be saved day by day; which is God working out His salvation in you, all the way up to the very end of your time upon this earth. Interesting enough, the word "troubles" is exactly what it means, affliction or tribulation; with a slight little twist, because it speaks also of "a female adversary, enemy, especially a rival." And the word "quicken" is almost a counterpart to "troubles" in the case of relief; almost like taking a pill for any sort of ailment; if there was a pill you could take for 'adversity' then it would be "quicken." The word basically speaks of 'life' in the sense of living, but not just being alive; no, this world is more about being brought to life, or being made alive, as in being revived or restored to life. This is glorious news for anyone that is feeling as though you have failed or let God down in any way; because, God is really not done saving you yet; He is not done saving you until you are done living on this earth. So lift up your head and realize that your 'rival' has the ability to have an offspring, sometimes many; but God has a cure for each and every one...
"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces; now He will heal us. He has injured us; now He will bandage our wounds. In just a short time He will restore us, so that we may live in His presence. Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know Him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in the early spring." (Hosea 6:1-3) NLT