1. “By grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:8; see also 2 Tim. 1:9); compare with “The crown of righteousness, with which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will recompense me” (2 Tim. 4:8).
Ephesians 2:8 and 2 Timothy 1:9 show that salvation is by grace on God’s side and through faith on man’s side. Consequently, salvation is not at all related to our works. Grace is given by God freely, and we receive salvation freely by faith. We only need to believe and receive in order to receive God’s salvation; we do not need to do even the smallest work.
However, 2 Timothy 4:8 shows that when the Lord comes, the crown that we obtain will be based on righteousness. A crown is the symbol of a king. Thus, to obtain a crown is to enter the kingdom of the heavens to reign. Therefore, obtaining a crown is based on God’s righteousness, not grace. It is called a “crown of righteousness,” not a “crown of grace.” This crown of righteousness will be given by the Lord, the “righteous Judge,” to His overcoming believers. This is absolutely different from being saved by grace in Ephesians 2:8. “By grace” is based on our faith; “of righteousness” is based on our works. God gives us grace for our salvation, and this has nothing to do with our works. We only need to receive God’s salvation by faith, and we are saved. But the Lord will give us a crown based only on righteousness, according to our works. In order to receive a crown, it is not enough merely to have faith to receive God’s grace; we must also have works that correspond to the Lord’s righteousness. Thus, these two portions of the Bible show that we are saved by God’s grace today and that we will obtain a reward and enter into the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens according to God’s righteousness in the future. These two matters are different from each other.
2. “Saved through faith...not of works” (Eph. 2:8-9; see also 2 Tim. 1:9); compare with “Not everyone...will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of My Father who is in the heavens” (Matt. 7:21).
Ephesians 2:8-9 and 2 Timothy 1:9 both say that salvation is entirely by God’s grace, not by works. This grace was given in Christ by God to us before the ages, before any of our works had been done, so it is completely unrelated to our works. Matthew 7:21 tells us we must do works that carry out the will of the Father in order to enter the kingdom of the heavens. Thus, this also shows that entering the kingdom of the heavens is different from being eternally saved.
3. “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13); compare with “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens” (Matt. 7:21).
Romans 10:13 says that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Calling upon the Lord’s name in this verse is related to faith. As long as we believe in our heart and confess the Lord’s name with our mouth, we will be saved. We do not need to do anything else to be saved. Believing in the Lord and confessing with our mouth are sufficient for our salvation.
In contrast Matthew 7:21 says that not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord,” will enter into the kingdom of the heavens. This is very different from Romans 10:13, which says that calling on the Lord’s name is all that is needed for salvation. According to the verse in Matthew 7, a person who calls, “Lord, Lord,” may not be able to enter the kingdom of the heavens. While it is enough to call upon the name of the Lord for salvation, this is not sufficient to ensure that one will enter the kingdom of the heavens; it is also necessary to do the will of God. Thus, these two portions of the Bible also show that being eternally saved and entering the kingdom of the heavens are two different things.
4. “Such fornication...that someone has his stepmother...Such a one...may be saved” (1 Cor. 5:1, 5); Compare with “Neither fornicators...will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9-10).
In 1 Corinthians 5:5 the apostle spoke of delivering a brother who had committed gross fornication to Satan for the destruction of his flesh so that his spirit would be saved in the day of the Lord. This shows that a saved brother, even one who commits a terrible sin, will be saved in the future despite the destruction of his flesh in this age. This is because salvation is based on God’s unchanging grace, which will never change, even if a believer’s actions are evil. If a believer’s actions are evil after he is saved, he is still saved. This is what the apostle clearly tells us in 1 Corinthians 5, but in the very next chapter the apostle says, “Neither fornicators...nor adulterers...will inherit the kingdom of God” (vv. 9-10). This should be a clear indication that salvation and inheriting the kingdom of God are two different matters. If they are not different, then the apostle’s words contradict each other. Since salvation is not based on man’s works, even a brother who becomes involved in fornication and adultery will not lose his eternal salvation, but at the same time he will not inherit the kingdom of God, which requires a surpassing holiness, because of his living as a fornicator and adulterer. Therefore, in these two portions, the apostle says two different things because being eternally saved and entering the kingdom of the heavens are two different matters.