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1 Corinthians 15:1-10 is one of the most famous passages in the Bible, rightfully due to Paul’s clear expounding of the core belief of the Christian faith: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For this article, I want to focus on the first statement found in verses 1-2, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” 

Now, it is interesting to see that Paul is talking about salvation as a process. After you receive the gospel message, you now stand in it. This is the rock in which is the firm foundation of our spiritual house that can protect us during the spiritual storms in our life. Receiving and accepting the gospel via baptism is the moment our salvation starts. We have our sins washed away (Acts 22:16) and make an appeal to God (1 Peter 3:21). We can stand firm due to this act.

But what does it mean that the gospel is the means that “by which [we] are being saved?” It means that salvation is a continual process. First, John tells us in 1 John 1:7 tells us that as we live our Christian life and, even if we mess up, we have the continuous cleansing of our sins. It reads, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” Second, we as Christians participate in a process called sanctification. This is the idea that as a Christian continues his or her journey, they become more like Christ and ultimately be in a perfected state. The Hebrew writer tells us in 10:14, “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” Finally, we await the return of Christ, where salvation will be complete and our perfection will be complete. Let us look at two passages, one from 1 Corinthians 1:7b-8 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23. First, “as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” and second, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Both of these passages show us that our completed salvation will take place when Christ returns.