I was studying Hebrews 9, and have a question about verse 28: "So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him." The first time Jesus appeared He appeared to deal with sin; the second time He will appear for salvation, right? Does verse 28 mean we receive our salvation at Judgment day -- and thus that we really will not know whether we are saved until that time? -- Guillermo Amezaga
Not at all. The Bible insists repeatedly we can know we are saved (1 John 5:13, for example). Yet salvation has three aspects: past, present, and future. It is past (Jesus procured it on the cross, and we were forgiven of our sins when we shared in Jesus' death and resurrection, Romans 6:3-4). It is present (we experience it now, and benefit daily from the blood of Jesus). And it is future (2 Timothy 4:18, 2 Peter 1:10-11, Hebrews 9:28); it will be fully consummated only when the Lord returns.
As John Stott put it, one's final and eternal destiny is settled in life, sealed at death, and stated at the final judgment.
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