Salvation is ONCE FOR ALL. It is a perfect work, with resultant effects which endure for all eternity. The work of Christ has made us complete, “And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power” (Col 2:10). We have been perfected, “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (Heb 10:14). We are qualified for Heaven ALREADY, “Giving thanks to the Father who has QUALIFIED US to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and CONVEYED US INTO THE KINGDOM OF THE SON OF HIS LOVE” (Col 1:12-13, cf. Philip 3:20, Heb 12:22-24).
In view of the above, it is only natural then that some would ask: if salvation is already done, we are already righteous in Christ, we stand complete in Him, Heaven is already our home, why then does God leave us on the Earth? Why not just “take us away,” once we are saved?
There are several reasons for this:
1) We are left on the Earth to GROW UP spiritually.
Christians are left on the Earth, after salvation, to grow in the knowledge of Him who saved us, and to grow in character. These are equally as important to God as salvation.
God wants the saved man to grow up, develop and mature spiritually, “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Pt 2:2). The Scriptures are given for this purpose; to grow and mature the believer, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for DOCTRINE, for REPROOF, for CORRECTION, for INSTRUCTION in righteousness, that the man of God may be COMPLETE, THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17).
God wants the life of the saved man to glorify Him, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Pt 2:9-0).
He wants the saved man to know Him, and to bear much fruit; fruits of righteousnesss, peace and holiness, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philip 1:9-11). Colossians 1:9-11 similarly reads, “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, BEING FRUITFUL IN EVERY GOOD WORK and INCREASING IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.” This is God’s wish for every Christian, expressed through the Apostle Paul.
Jesus says God is glorified when we bear fruit, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (Jn 15:8) We show that we ARE His disciples by bearing fruit. A life full of godly conduct characterizes those who truly are saved!
We are already sons of God in Christ (Jn 1:12, Rom 8:14-15, Gal 3:26, 4:6, 1 Jn 3:1-2). We are then kept on the Earth, to show forth/display/make evident and visible that sonship, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons (or examples) of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt 5:44-45). We do not do good to become sons of God, we do good to SHOW that we ARE sons.
God wants the fruits of the Spirit to be evident through our lives.
Galatians 5:16, 22-23
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
We are left on the Earth to walk as children of the Light, and to please God, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord (Eph 5:8-10).
Thus, the first reason why we remain on Earth after our salvation is to grow in our knowledge of God and His Word, and this growth becomes evident in our conduct and way of life. Our walk pleases the Lord.
2) We remain on the Earth to be witnesses to the unsaved.
Although YOU are saved, there are others who are still perishing, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to THOSE WHO ARE PERISHING” (2 Corin 4:3). Those “who are perishing” are those who have not believed the Gospel, “Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, WHO DO NOT BELIEVE, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (vs. 4).
Now, God does not just want YOU saved. He wants you to get others saved also. Our Lord Jesus says, in Mark 16:15-16, “…Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (cf. 1 Tim 2:3-4).
As Christians, we have the responsibility to preach the Gospel to the end that more men are saved (see Matt 28:19-20, Lk 24:47, Acts 1:8, Rom 10:13-15, 2 Corin 5:18-20).
3) The Church remains on the Earth to teach angels.
Angels are not omniscient (all-knowing). There is a lot they are yet to fully grasp, especially concerning salvation. Observe how the Apostle Peter describes this.
1 Peter 1:10-12
10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—THINGS WHICH ANGELS DESIRE TO LOOK INTO.
Peter asserts here that just as the Old Testament prophets sought to understand God’s plan of salvation, so did the angels. This inquisitiveness of the angels remains unchanged, even today.
Paul is clear that angels learn from the Church; from our doctrine and our practice.
Ephesians 3:8-10
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now THE MANIFOLD WISDOM OF GOD might be MADE KNOWN BY THE CHURCH to THE PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES.
As Paul preached the Gospel, he was also making the manifold wisdom of God known to the angels (“the principalities and powers in the heavenly places”).
As the Church suffers for Christ and obeys God, the angels observe and learn.
1 Corinthians 4:9
9 For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for WE HAVE BEEN MADE A SPECTACLE to the world, BOTH TO ANGELS and to men.
1 Timothy 5:21
21 I charge you BEFORE God and the Lord Jesus Christ and THE ELECT ANGELS that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.
Angels are present, watching our every act of obedience and disobedience. They are learning. Thus, God leaves us on the Earth to be GOOD EXAMPLES to the angels.
Conclusively, this is why we are not just allowed to die, and be raised again at the Resurrection, immediately we are saved. We are kept on the Earth to do good works. Note that number 2 & 3 are tied to number 1; we can only be good witnesses of Christ, and good examples to the angels, IF we are growing spiritually.
