Phases of Salvation Seen by Others
JOHN GILL (1697-1771; Baptist) wrote, “Salvation may be considered, either in the contrivance of it from eternity, in the mind and counsel of God; and the designation of persons to it; or in the impetration of it in time by Christ; or in the application of it in effectual vocation by the Spirit of God; or in the entire consummate enjoyment of it in heaven. In every of these views of it, good works are not necessary to it…. Good works are necessary to be done … to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour, to recommend religion to others, to testify the truth of our faith, and give evidence of the reality of internal holiness.”
Source: John Gill’s, Salvation by Works … https://letgodbetrue.com/.
JOHN BRINE (1703-1765; Baptist) wrote, “It may justly be said, that in some sense the elect are saved before they believe, and consequently without faith, as appears by these words: ‘who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling; not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, given us in Christ before the world began’. Salvation in a sense precedes vocation; for the elect are saved with many temporal salvations, before, and in order to, calling; or they are preserved by God’s kind providence from many dangers, and recovered out of many afflictions, in order to be called; which I take to be included in those words: ‘preserved in Jesus Christ, and called’. Besides, they are saved in a spiritual sense, before calling; for Christ hath redeemed them from the curse of the law, the wrath of God; and also has conquered all their enemies, sin, Satan, death, and hell. This was the work which the Father gave him to do, and he came into the world to accomplish; for, ‘he came to seek and to save that which was lost’. The distinction of the impetration and application of salvation, which is commonly made by divines, perfectly agrees with this; the impetration of salvation is before, the application of it begins, when we believe.
Source: John Brine’s, Eternal Justification … https://libcfl.com/articles/brine.htm.
ARTHUR PINK (1886-1952; Baptist) wrote, “Even where there is fundamental soundness in their views upon Divine salvation many have such inadequate and one-sided conceptions that other aspects of this truth, equally important and essential, are often overlooked and tacitly denied. How many, for example, would be capable of giving a simple exposition of the following texts: ‘Who hath saved us’ (II Tim 1:9), ‘Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling’ (Phil 2:12), ‘Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed’ (Rom 13:11). Now these verses do not refer to three different salvations, but to three separate aspects of one, and unless we learn to distinguish sharply among them, there can be naught but confusion and cloudiness in our thinking. Those passages present three distinct phases and stages of salvation: salvation as an accomplished fact, as a present process, and as a future prospect.
“So many today ignore these distinctions, jumbling them together. Some contend for one and some argue against the other two; and vice versa. Some insist they are already saved, and deny that they are now being saved. Some declare that salvation is entirely future, and deny that it is in any sense already accomplished. Both are wrong. The fact is that the great majority of professing Christians fail to see that ‘salvation’ is one of the most comprehensive terms in all the Scriptures, including predestination, regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. They have far too cramped an idea of the meaning and scope of the word ‘salvation’ (as it is used in the Scriptures), narrowing its range too much, generally confining their thoughts to but a single phase.
“Salvation may be viewed from many angles and contemplated under various aspects, but from whatever side we look at it we must ever remember that ‘Salvation is of the Lord’. Salvation was planned by the Father for His elect before the foundation of the world. It was purchased for them by the holy life and vicarious death of His incarnate Son. It is applied to and wrought in them by His Holy Spirit. It is known and enjoyed through the study of the Scriptures through the exercise of faith, and through communion with the triune Jehovah.”
Source: Arthur Pink’s, A Four-Fold Salvation … https://www.gracegems.org/Pink2/a_fourfold_salvation.htm.
See Samuel Richardson’s, Justification By Christ Alone … https://letgodbetrue.com/bible-topics/index/salvation/justification-by-christ-alone/.
See other High Calvinists e.g. William Kiffen, Joseph Hussey, John Skepp, Mrs. Ann Dutton, Tobias Crisp, William Ames, William Twisse, William Perkins, Johannes Maccovius, Hoornbeck, Witsius, Goodwin, Coccieus, Bentley, John Saltmarsh, John Eaton, William Dell, Lewis Wayman.