The End Of Salvation
by Dr. Ken Matto
 
(John 19:30 KJV) When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

 

(Heb 10:18 KJV) Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

 

No it’s not what you are thinking! God continues to save His elect today and until He saves the very last one He intends to save, it will remain the day of grace. When the last one becomes saved, then that will usher in the Day of the Lord or Judgment day when all the unbelievers will stand before the Lord and give an account for their lives and then be cast into an eternal hell for payment for their sins.
The end of salvation that I have in view is stated in our two opening verses. When the Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross and before He died, He stated that God’s majestic salvation plan was complete. Hebrews 10:18 states that there is no more offering for sin. Why? When the Lord Jesus went to the cross, He effectively paid for the sins of all His elect which resulted in the fact that no more sacrifice for salvation will be needed. Every sin of His elect was now atoned for. Christ did not offer salvation to the whole world because of His sacrifice rather He died for a specific group of people, namely, His elect.

 

(John 17:12 KJV) While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

 

(Mat 1:21 KJV) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Since all the sins of His elect were now paid for, there is no reason for any more sacrifice to take place since it was complete.

 

(Heb 10:12 KJV) But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
The only part of God’s salvation plan which is to be completed is the part of the actual saving of the elect until the final one on the last day. God has committed Himself to save every last one. As we see in the following verse that all will come to repentance which is a synonym for salvation, since a person cannot repent before salvation, they must be saved first, then cometh salvation.

 

(2 Pet 3:9 KJV) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

 

The "any" in the above verse are those who were predestined for salvation from the foundations of the earth. As I was pondering these things in anticipation of preaching this message at my home church, the Lord opened up some other Scriptures which Christians may value concerning the end of other things. Not only was the penalty for sin for God’s elect paid for but because of Calvary there were other major benefits for the believer and I want to give you ten great "ends" which the believer can count on.
 
1. Romans 10:4 - The End of the Law for His elect
(Rom 10:4 KJV) For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

 

No believer ever has to worry about keeping the tenets of the law for salvation. Christ completely and successfully met the demands of God’s Holy Law on Calvary. The believer’s heritage is to rest in Calvary and never worry about keeping the law. No human can ever keep God’s law in it’s entirety and since Christ has done it for His elect, we now rest. No Christian will ever be judged for any sin, since it is all gone.

 

(Heb 4:9-10 KJV) There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. {10} For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

 

(Heb 8:12 KJV) For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
 
2. 2 Cor 11:15 - The End of Satan
(2 Cor 11:15 KJV) Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

 

Another great end the believer can look forward to is the end of Satan. Right now we face many trials and hindrances in our Christian walk because of evil but there is going to come a day when all this evil shall be ended. However, while we are on this earth we may enjoy a little of that life to come by not falling for his temptations. Satan is a defeated foe and he has absolutely no authority over the true Christian. There is no reason to go around and start rebuking the devil at every turn. He was totally defeated at Calvary. He still has power over the unbeliever but has none over the Christian.

 

(John 14:30 KJV) Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
Jesus is stating in this verse that Satan cannot find any sin or can make any true accusation against Christ. What about the believer, can we make that claim? YUP!

 

(Rom 8:33 KJV) Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

 

God Himself is the one that justifies (declares not guilty) His elect. How could God do that? Do you remember in the first part of this study we saw that Christ had completely fulfilled the demands of God’s righteous law and those who are in Christ have to themselves imputed, by God, the same position of having fulfilled the law. This is why Satan cannot lay any rightful charges or accusations against us. He could not do it against Job because Job was saved and therefore his sins were gone also because in principle Christ was slain before the foundation of the world.

 

(Rev 13:8 KJV) And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
 
3. 1 Cor. 1:8 - The End of Judgment for the Believer
(1 Cor 1:8 KJV) Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There are two judgment days written in Scripture. The first one is already completed. The first judgment was when all the children of God were judged and this was at Calvary. The second one is on the last day when all the unbelievers will be judged and cast into hell for their sins.

 

(2 Cor 5:10 KJV) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

 

(Rom 14:10 KJV) But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

 

One of the major teachings in the church designed to bring Christians back into spiritual bondage is the idea that we are going to receive rewards for our Christian duties or life. This idea stems from 2 Corinthians 5:10 where it is commonly taught that there will be a judgment of the Christian’s works and it will be at that point when we will receive rewards or loss of rewards. These rewards that people say we will receive are crowns and then someday we will cast those crowns at the feet of Jesus. Let us briefly see if this scenario is correct.

 

(James 4:17 KJV) Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

 

Let us look at the above verse and ask the question, "Should I witness to everyone I meet?" Let us say I witnessed to 10,000 people in my life but there were a few I did not witness to. Since being a witness to the world is the command of Christ in the Great Commission and I did not witness to some then I knew what good to do and did it not, therefore according to James 4:17 it is sin. Now if I have sinned according to the rewards preachers, I have lost my rewards BUT the Bible teaches in Colossians 2:13-14:

 

(Col 2:13-14 KJV) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; {14} Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

 

The Scriptures teach that I have been forgiven for all my sins. Why? Because as a believer I was already judged for my sins at Calvary and am now found not guilty before God. So if I stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ with the sin of not witnessing then I will not be there for loss of rewards but I will be there for sin and if I am to be judged for sin, then I will be cast into Hell which means I was never saved. Now the rewards preachers say but the believers have already been judged for their sins and now their works must be judged.
I would like to know where in Scripture it states that the penalty for sin is loss of rewards and not eternal damnation. If the believer has already been judged for sin and then must stand again for sin, then the atonement of Christ was incomplete and this is taught nowhere in the Bible. The Believer has already stood before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and was judged and declared not guilty AKA justified because the sacrifice of Christ was accepted by God the Father for payment for the sins of the elect. (Rev 14:5 KJV) And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. Since we are without fault before the throne of God, then why must we be judged at the throne of God? It doesn’t make sense logically or biblically. This idea of a judgment for rewards is as bogus as the Age of Accountability and the literal 1,000 year reign of Christ.
 
4. Romans 6:22 - The End of Temporal Living
(Rom 6:22 KJV) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

 

It seems life is so temporal. Temporal being a word to describe time in relation to eternity. Everything is so tied to the clock, but the believer, although tied to the same time constraints as the rest of the world has a different view of life. We view things with the eyes of eternity since we are heaven bound. The unsaved will never look at things with an eternal perspective because their whole being is tied to this earth and that is all they look for.

 

(Eccl 3:11 KJV) He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

 

The words "the world" is the Hebrew word "ethhaolam" which means "the eternity." God has set eternity in the hearts of every human being but only the believer, because of a regenerated spirit, will live in the light of its reality. The unbeliever has shrouded eternity because if they acknowledge there is an eternity, then they will know there is a God which they will have to be accountable to.

 

(2 Cor 4:15-18 KJV) For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. {16} For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. {17} For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; {18} While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
 
5. Amos 3:15 - The end of inequality
(Amos 3:15 KJV) And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD.

 

There are many rich people in the world today who think that because they are living in the lap of luxury, believe everything is going to be okay. The truth is that they too are going to face the same judgment that the unsaved poor people are going to face and there will be no partiality. God will judge every social class according to their works and no one will escape.

 

(James 5:1-5 KJV) Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. {2} Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. {3} Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. {4} Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. {5} Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.

 

(1 Sam 2:7 KJV) The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

 

One of the biggest mistakes that rich people make is the belief they are self-made and that there own wisdom and business savvy has gotten them to their lofty position. They believe they are financially secure and need nothing, especially God. The verse tells us that God is the giver of riches and that He can raise up the riches and take them away. There is nothing inherently wrong about being wealthy. It is only when you glorify yourself and arrogantly display your wealth to the world and to those who have less. Who really NEEDS a Lincoln Navigator, a Lexus SUV or a Mercedes SUV? It is basically to show the others on the road you have money. The super rich in this world, those who start wars and bankrupt nations with debt will also be judged for their sins against God and mankind.
 
6. Daniel 9:24 - The End of Sin
(Dan 9:24 KJV) Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

 

One of the most beautiful passages in the Bible concerning the end of sin is this passage located in Daniel. This is a prophecy of the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ who came to die for His people (Matt. 1:21). This time frame goes from the time of Ezra to the crucifixion of Christ. It is a total time span of 490 years. (458 BC-33 AD) We see in this passage that it is dripping with the gospel message and we can know this for sure since this passage speaks of "everlasting righteousness" which is a synonym for the gospel.
When the Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross He fully atoned for all the ones He intended on saving. This means that God no longer sees the sins of the believer because they have been removed and this is why God can look at us as righteous. We see in this passage that the term "end of sins" is used. This means that the believer will have no more judgment for sin since they are all atoned for. Sin for the believer is ended. This does not mean each and every true believer will not sin but it means the sins they commit have been atoned for in their entirety.

 

Then we see the term "make reconciliation." (Rom 5:10 KJV) "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." We see that the Lord Jesus Christ also reconciled us unto God through His atonement. The Lord Jesus Christ made an end to the transgression of God’s law by His elect by fulfilling the demands of the law, and imputing to us, that same status of having fulfilled the law through the atonement of Christ and thus we have the term "vicarious atonement."

 

Then God talks about the Holy City. Before the crucifixion of Christ the Holy City was Jerusalem:

 

(Neh 11:1 KJV) And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities.

 

After the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, the Holy City was no longer considered a physical city but rather the body of believers.
(Rev 21:2 KJV) And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

 

(Mat 27:51-53 KJV) And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; {52} And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, {53} And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

 

Here we see a picture of what the Last Day is going to be like. All the bodies of the Saints will arise and then go into the Holy City with all the other believers (the many) and will then live with Christ forever in the new heaven and new earth. It will be a place of righteousness forever. It will truly be a holy city since only holiness will reign.
 
7. Job 26:10 - The End of vain living
(Job 26:10 KJV) He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.

 

No longer does the believer have to view life as a pool of vanity because we now have purpose in our life and even the most mundane tasks can be done to the glory of God. (1 Cor 10:31 KJV) "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." The greatest place for our light to shine is in the workplace where others can gain a blessing from our work and from our spiritual insights. If we walk in to our jobs with the same attitude the world does, then we have no thankfulness in our hearts for what God has provided. Let us gain a new spiritual perspective on things as Christians. There is no such thing as a secular place for wherever the Christian goes, then that place automatically becomes a spiritual territory. This is why the Bible tells us to let our light shine, not only on Sunday, but on Monday. Do you realize that you spend 14.29% of your life on Monday? So then why do you despise it so much? Remember, this is the day the Lord hath made and that does not refer to Sunday specifically. Think about it!
 
8. Psalm 37:37 - The End of Turmoil
(Psa 37:37 KJV) Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

 

Oh yes, there are going to be times in our lives when everything is going to seem like it is upside down and it is at these times when we can manifest the peace of God in our lives. God is in control of every situation in our lives and many times things happen where we cannot control anything and those are the times we rest in the peace of God. (Isa 26:3 KJV) Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

 

The times we become disheveled in our lives are the times our eyes are focusing on the situation and not on the Lord. There are many verses in Scripture which teach us to wait on the Lord. Waiting on God is not a waste of time but it is an investment. If we could learn to focus on the Lord and not on the problems, we could harness the key to personal peace. This does not mean we don’t do our part. If you are working outside and you sweat up a great deal and are thirsty, we will not look to heaven and say "Oh Lord make me unthirsty," instead we will go to the tap and drink a lot of water to replenish what we have lost. The same principle holds true with any situation you are caught in, you do what you can while simultaneously trusting and waiting on the Lord. For example, if you lose your job, you are not going to go home and just sleep all day and tell the Lord to find you another job. The key is to go job hunting and leave the results to God.
 
9. Psalm 46:9 - The End of War (With God)
(Psa 46:9 KJV) He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.

 

Here is another great salvation verse telling us who does the saving. The believer is no longer at war with God because of the atonement of Christ. We see in this verse that it is God who does the saving because He is the one who causes the war to cease between Him and an individual He saves. (Rom 5:1 KJV) "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" We have peace with God because the war between us is over and it was God who did it, not us of our mythical free will. God destroys all the weapons of war which we may try to use against Him and makes us an ally where we once were enemies.
 
10. The End of Desolation
(Isa 62:4 KJV) Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.

 

No longer will the believer ever have to face being forsaken or abandoned. God promises that He will be married to us. That is the meaning of the word "Beulah" and that is the reason that so many songs have been written about it. Since we are married to God and He will never divorce us, all fear of abandonment is gone. The word "Hephzibah" means "my delight is in her" and since we are the body of Christ, God has placed His delight on the body. Things may happen in this world which may seem like Heaven is silent when we pray but we can be assured that we are never forsaken nor abandoned.

 

(Jer 31:3 KJV) The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

 

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