The third kind of salvation spoken of in the Bible is environmental salvation. This is the salvation God gives us today in our troubling environment.
1. “Who has delivered us out of so great a death, and will deliver us; in whom we have hoped that He will also yet deliver us” (2 Cor. 1:10, see also vv. 8-9).
Paul spoke this word after many afflictions had befallen him and his co-workers when they were in Asia. They were excessively burdened beyond their power and despaired even of living. They had the response of death in themselves, but God delivered them out of so great a death. This salvation does not refer to God’s eternal salvation; rather, it refers to environmental salvation. Paul experienced this kind of salvation in many desperate situations, so he believed that God would deliver them out of their present hardship, and he expressed hope that He would deliver them from sufferings in the future. Every saved one should believe in, hope for, and experience this kind of salvation in difficult situations. God enjoys giving us this kind of salvation.
2. “I know that for me this will turn out to salvation through your petition and the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:19, see also vv. 12-13).
Paul wrote these words when he was in prison. Nevertheless, he knew and believed that through the petition of the Philippian believers and the bountiful supply of the Spirit his imprisonment would turn out to his salvation. This passage does not refer to being eternally saved from sins, from hell, or from being under the law; instead, it speaks of being saved from our sufferings, that is, environmental salvation.
3. “I was delivered out of the lion’s mouth. The Lord will deliver me from every evil work” (2 Tim. 4:17-18, see also vv. 14-16).
Although Paul encountered persecution from men and was imprisoned for the Lord’s sake, the Lord delivered him out of “the lion’s mouth.” He also believed that the Lord would deliver him from every evil work. These passages clearly refer to Paul’s receiving of God’s environmental salvation in his sufferings.
4. “The angel of Jehovah encamps / Around those who fear Him, and He delivers them” (Psa. 34:7).
The angel of Jehovah is His messenger who encamps around those who fear God and delivers them. This certainly refers to environmental deliverance. Frequently, when we encounter hardships, God sends His angels to deliver us. Sometimes God tells not only one angel to save us but sends many angels to encamp around us and deliver us. This kind of deliverance is something that we who fear Him can obtain at any time and in any place when we encounter hardships; therefore, it is environmental salvation.
The fourth kind of salvation spoken of in the Bible is the salvation of the body. This will occur when the Lord returns. It is the redemption of our old creation body into the glory of the new creation.
1. “We were saved in hope” (Rom. 8:24).
According to the context of this verse, saved does not refer to our spirit but to the redemption of our body. We are eternally saved when we believe and obtain eternal life in our spirit. We do not need to hope for something that we have already obtained. However, the redemption of our body requires us to hope because we must wait for the day of the Lord’s return. When we believed, we obtained eternal salvation and our spirit was enlivened. However, our body is still groaning and travailing in pain in the old creation, which is under the slavery of corruption with the suffering of illness and aging. When the Lord returns, He will transfigure our body, which is under the slavery of the old creation, and bring it into the glorious freedom of the new creation. The salvation of our body will occur in the future.
2. “Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Rom. 13:11).
The salvation spoken of here must refer to the salvation of our body. It cannot refer to eternal salvation because we obtained this salvation when our spirit was enlivened the moment we believed. The salvation of our body will occur in the future; thus, it is nearer than when we believed. The Lord’s return is nearer to us today than at the moment of our eternal salvation. Therefore, the salvation of our body, the redemption of our body, is nearer than when we believed.