What is it to be saved, biblically speaking? Is it salvation from hell? Is it saved unto Jesus?
Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Jesus states “shall be saved”. No one alive has endured to the end yet. The bible talks about the wedding feast, and compares the church to the bride of Christ. Who is the church?
Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
The word the King James Version uses for “church” in the Greek, is “ekklesia”, meaning a gathering of people, or an assembly. So Jesus is talking about his assembly, not just any assembly, and not just any church. And he is not talking about a certain denomination of church named by man.
Revelation 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. The wedding has yet to take place. We have yet to see which of the virgins will be ready, and which will not. So just because you are waiting now does not mean you will endure to be ready when the bridegroom tarries. No one is married yet. Even those now dead have yet to be resurrected and stand before the judgment seat. Your dead loved ones are not in heaven with Jesus yet.
It is a misreading of the scripture to quote Paul “absent with the body is present with the Lord” means immediately. Paul wasn’t speaking of present time. Jesus said people “sleep” when they are dead and waiting for resurrection. That means they are just not in a conscience state. The next thing they will see is the resurrection. In other scripture where Jesus said to the thief on the cross “I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Put the comma where it belongs: “I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise.” Scripture cannot contradict itself. The first rendering of that passage is in conflict with all other scripture describing the rapture.
2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Luke 23:43 (King James Version) And Jesus said unto him,Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Matthew 25 1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2And five of them were wise, and fivewerefoolish. 3They thatwerefoolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9But the wise answered, saying,Not so;lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Revelation 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Revelation 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
Paul states here that we have yet to obtain salvation, until the race has been run. The teaching of “once saved always saved” could be true, but no one is saved yet. So get out of your comfort zone. Get out of your complacency. Get off your laurels, and serve the master. I did not say your works would save you. But a person without works is a dead person.
James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Matthew 22 1And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen andmyfatlingsarekilled, and all thingsareready: come unto the marriage. 5But they made light ofit,and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6And the remnant took his servants, and entreatedthem spitefully, and slewthem. 7But when the king heardthereof,he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and casthiminto outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14For many are called, but fewarechosen.
The king in this story is God the Father, as the ruler of the kingdom of heaven. The son of the king, the bridegroom is Jesus. The servants that were sent were the Old Testament prophets, that no one listened to. The people originally invited to the wedding feast are the children of Israel. The strangers are the gentiles, which were later invited to the wedding feast. The man that tried to enter the wedding ceremony without a wedding garment are those that will try to enter into heaven rejecting the blood of Jesus Christ to cover their unrighteousness. Without putting on his righteousness you are an abomination unto God.