Even though we were dead because of our sins,
he gave us life when he raised Jesus from the dead.
It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved.
Ephesians 2, 5

St. Paul believed that salvation encompassed all three aspects of time: past, present, and future. In the original Greek, the phrase "By grace you have been saved" is written as χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι (chariti este sesōsmenoi). The word χάριτί translates to "grace" and comes from the Greek word chairo, which means "graciousness, of manner or act." The verb form ἐστε (este) is in the present indicative active, 2nd person plural, and existential perfect tense. This means that it refers to a collective "ongoing existence" that has resulted from a past event. The result of this past event is the state of being "saved" or σεσῳσμένοι (sesōsmenoi). The present indicative active verb indicates that "You exist" or, more precisely, "You are saved." The perfect participle σεσῳσμένοι literally means "saved, delivered, or shielded." Therefore, the people who have been saved or delivered through God's gracious act (grace or favor) continue to exist in this state of being as a result of a past event, safeguarded from being nullified.

In reference to the present, Paul is talking about a past event that still holds true today. Specifically, he is referring to the reason why we are saved and the conditions for it: the removal of guilt and the forgiveness of sin. Christ's redemption of the world is an ongoing process. The grace of justification and forgiveness, which only our Lord has earned for humanity, is a permanent result of His passion, death, and resurrection. Through Jesus Christ, God has reconciled the world to Himself (Rom 5:10-11).

When we receive baptism, we actively receive the grace of justification and forgiveness for our own inner renewal. This grace has been earned for us by Christ alone, not by any preceding merit. (2 Tim 1:9; Titus 3:5). The process of justification and sanctification starts here on our faith journey. Through the redeeming merits of Jesus Christ, we are internally transformed from being born as a child of Adam to being reborn in the Spirit. This event is not a single occurrence in our life of faith that guarantees our individual salvation forever, but rather the beginning of a continuous process of growing in holiness and striving for spiritual perfection, despite the occasional falls from grace and acts of contrition that follow one's baptism. (2 Cor 7:1).

For we are the aroma of Christ to God
among those who are being saved
and among those who are perishing.
2 Corinthians 2, 15

In the English language, the phrase "those who are being saved" may give the impression that St. Paul is referring to a group of believers who are currently being saved, but have not yet been fully saved. However, it is important to note that the present tense verb in New Testament Greek does not necessarily imply a continual or ongoing action (Aktionsart). This means that the word "saved" does not refer to a process of being saved from sin that is ongoing until it is completed. Rather, the grace of justification and forgiveness that our Lord has earned for humanity is a permanent result of His passion, death, and resurrection. Christ paid the ransom for our sins once and for all, and reconciled humanity to God at a specific moment in time, with a complete and lasting effect.

Therefore, Paul uses the verb "being saved" in the present tense. In Koine Greek, the word used is "σωζομένοις" (sōzomenois). The apostle is addressing those who have been "saved, rescued, and safeguarded." However, when reading the New Testament in its original Greek, it's important to consider the author's perspective on the action of "being saved", which is referred to as "aspect". Greek verb tenses indicate the writer's subjective portrayal of that action or state, which is known as aspect. The aspectual tense mark of a Greek verb helps us understand the author's subjective portrayal of the action. Let's examine what Paul says to those who 'are saved' and how their salvation might not be unconditional.

It is believed that Christ has saved us all collectively, but we still need to work towards our salvation individually. We can read in the King James Bible: “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12). This means that we must work together with our Lord to save ourselves from drowning (subjective redemption), while He helps us with our eternal destiny through His single self-sacrifice (objective redemption).

In this passage, Paul is emphasizing the importance of a continuous process of becoming holy and righteous, rather than constantly living in a state of sin like those who are "perishing." The phrase "perishing" (Present participle: ἀπολλυμένοις or apollymenois “are destroyed” or “do destroy”) refers to those who are destroyed or do destroy themselves due to their obstinacy. For the Corinthians who have been baptized, this commitment marks the beginning of a life-long journey toward justification and sanctification. As they grow in their faith, they may receive more grace and increase in sanctification and charity as a reward for their friendship with God. This growth will enable them to become more like God in their daily lives through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Sanctification is the essence or formal cause of justification. In order to be just before God, we must be made inherently holy and righteous. As members of Christ's mystical Body, we couldn't be the "aroma of Christ" or Christ-like unless our righteousness personally belonged to us, which is possible only through the infusion of sanctifying grace into our souls. This process requires work on our part in collaboration with the Holy Spirit. We are ultimately responsible for the eternal reward or punishment that we receive. Although Christ has made it possible for us to be saved by his grace, which he alone has produced for us by his redeeming merits, he does not save each of us personally by his work on the cross alone.

In order to be considered just in God's eyes, we must be holy through the power of the Holy Spirit who resides within us. If we commit a mortal sin, such as adultery or lying about someone else, we risk losing the salvation that Christ has granted us. This is because our souls would no longer be in a state of sanctifying grace until we confess our sins, show contrition, and perform penance, preferably through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Therefore, we must repent for any sins we commit after baptism and perform penance to fully restore our friendship with God. John stresses the need to cooperate with divine grace to ensure the full attainment of our salvation by persevering in grace until the end, now that our Lord and Savior has made this possible for all through his passion, death, and resurrection. “We must look to ourselves that we lose not the things which we have wrought (a meritorious increase in grace or bearing fruit) but that we receive a full reward” (1 Jn 2:8). We must be careful not to lose the good work we have done, but to receive our full reward.

Paul did not believe that justification is a one-time event that happens in the past and is completed by baptism through faith in Christ. Rather, he believed that it is an ongoing process that requires human collaboration with the work of God in the Holy Spirit. This process involves constructive transformations of the soul and daily renewal (2 Cor 3:18; 4:16; Eph 4:22-24; Phil 2:13). Our own salvation is something we must work out faithfully in fear and trembling, lest we fall from grace and revert to our former sinful ways at the cost of our salvation. If all we had to do was put our faith in Christ's redeeming merits and accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we would have no reason to fear eternal condemnation and tremble at the thought of it. But the grace of justification and forgiveness is a gift and is not a license to sin (Rom 6:1). As baptized members of the Body of Christ, we are called to maintain our faith until the end. Jesus himself emphasized the importance of enduring until the end to receive salvation. (Matthew 10:22, 24:13, Mark 13:13). We must be careful not to let ourselves be destroyed or to undermine the salvation that Christ has provided for us, unlike those who are perishing.

This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is;
time is running out. Wake up for our salvation is nearer now than
when we first believed. The night is past and the day is at hand. Let
us therefore cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light.
Romans 13, 11

In his Letter to the Romans, St. Paul talks about salvation as a future attainment that comes closer as his followers continue to profess their faith in Christ. Therefore, they must keep hoping for salvation during their journey of faith. Salvation is not something they have already obtained in their personal lives and is eternally guaranteed regardless of their conduct. The apostle is worried that some members of the Roman church have returned to their sinful habits from before their baptism, despite their avowals of faith in Christ. He urges them to apply the Gospel truths in their daily lives to ensure that they finally receive what they hope for.

In this passage, Paul is urging those who have turned away from their renewed way of life to return and persevere in grace before it's too late. He warns that their judgment could come at any moment, so they must "wake up" and stop deceiving themselves to avoid losing the salvation they hope for. It's important to note that Paul would not need to exhort the Roman Christians to continue in their faith if they had already been saved upon their initial profession of faith in Christ. By telling them to "put on the armor of light," Paul means that they should continue to persevere in grace so that they may be considered righteous and saved at the time of death. Paul understood that salvation isn't guaranteed, and how we live our lives plays a crucial role in personally applying the salvation that Christ achieved for us on the Cross.

Early Sacred Tradition

“And pray ye without ceasing in behalf of other men;
for there is hope of the repentance, that they may attain to God.
For ‘cannot he that falls arise again, and he may attain to God.’”
St. Ignatius of Antioch, To the Ephesians, 10
( A.D. 110)

“But He who raised Him up from the dead will raise up us also, if we do His will,
and walk in His commandments, and love what He loved, keeping ourselves from
all unrighteousness, covetousness, love of money, evil speaking, false witness;
‘not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing,’ or blow for blow, or cursing for
cursing, but being mindful of what the Lord said in His teaching: ‘Judge not, that
ye be not judged; forgive, and it shall be forgiven unto you; be merciful, that ye
may obtain mercy; with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you
again; and once more, “Blessed are the poor, and those that are persecuted for
righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God.’”
St. Polycarp, To the Philippians, 2
(A.D. 135)

“And as many of them, he added, as have repented, shall have their dwelling in
the tower. And those of them who have been slower in repenting shall dwell
within the walls. And as many as do not repent at all, but abide in their deeds,
shall utterly perish…Yet they also, being naturally good, on hearing my
commandments, purified themselves, and soon repented. Their dwelling,
accordingly, was in the tower. But if anyone relapses into strife, he will be cast
out of the tower, and will lose his life.”
Hermas, The Shephard, 3:8:7
(A.D. 155)

“We have learned from the prophets, and we hold it to be true, that punishments,
and chastisements, and good rewards, are rendered according to the merit of
each man’s actions. Since if it be not so, but all things happen by fate, neither is
anything at all in our own power…But this we assert is inevitable fate, that they
who choose the good have worthy rewards, and those who choose the opposite
have their merited awards. For not like other things, as trees and quadrupeds,
which cannot act by choice, did God make man: for neither would he be worthy
of reward or praise did he not of himself choose the good, but were created for
this end; nor, if he were evil, would he be worthy of punishment, not being evil of
himself, but being able to be nothing else than what he was made.”
St. Justin Martyr, First Apology, 6
(A.D. 155)

“‘And other sheep there are also,’ saith the Lord, ‘which are not of this fold ‘
deemed worthy of another fold and mansion, in proportion to their faith. ‘But
My sheep hear My voice,’ understanding gnostically the commandments. And
this is to be taken in a magnanimous and worthy acceptation, along with also
the recompense and accompaniment of works. So that when we hear, ‘Thy faith
hath saved thee, we do not understand Him to say absolutely that those who
have believed in any way whatever shall be saved, unless also works follow. But
it was to the Jews alone that He spoke this utterance, who kept the law and lived
blamelessly, who wanted only faith in the Lord. No one, then, can be a believer
and at the same time be licentious; but though he quit the flesh, he must put off
the passions, so as to be capable of reaching his own mansion.”
St. Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, 6:14
(A.D. 202)

“Whoever dies in his sins, even if he profess to believe in Christ, does not truly
believe in Him, and even if that which exists without works be called faith, such
faith is dead in itself, as we read in the Epistle bearing the name of James.”
Origen, Commentary on John, 19:6
(A.D. 232)

“He, in administering the righteous judgment of the Father to all, assigns to each
what is righteous according to his works….the justification will be seen in the
awarding to each that which is just; since to those who have done well shall be
assigned righteously eternal bliss, and to the lovers of iniquity shall be given
eternal punishment. And the fire which is un-quenchable and without end
awaits these latter, and a certain fiery worm which dieth not…But the righteous
will remember only the righteous deeds by which they reached the heavenly
kingdom, in which there is neither sleep, nor pain, nor corruption”
St. Hippolytus, Against Plato, 3
(ante A.D. 235)

“For both to prophesy and to cast out devils, and to do great acts upon the earth
is certainly a sublime and an admirable thing; but one does not attain the
kingdom of heaven although he is found in all these things, unless he walks in
the observance of the right and just way. The Lord denounces, and says, ‘Many
shall say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and
in Thy name have cast out devils, and in Thy name done many wonderful works
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that
work iniquity.’ There is need of righteousness, that one may deserve well of God
the Judge; we must obey His precepts and warnings, that our merits may 
receive their reward.”
St. Cyprian, On the Unity of the Church, 16
(A.D. 251)

“Say not, none seeth me; think not, that there is no witness of the deed. Human
witness oftentimes there is not; but He who fashioned us, an unerring witness,
abides faithful in heaven, and beholds what thou doest. And the stains of sin also
remain in the body; for as when a wound has gone deep into the body, even if
there has been a healing, the scar remains, so sin wounds soul and body, and the
marks of its scars remain in all; and they are removed only from those who
receive the washing of Baptism. The past wounds therefore of soul and body God
heals by Baptism; against future ones let us one and all jointly guard ourselves,
that we may keep this vestment of the body pure, and may not for practicing
fornication and sensual indulgence or any other sin for a short season, lose the
salvation of heaven, but may inherit the eternal kingdom of God; of which may
God, of His own grace, deem all of you worthy.”
St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 18:19,20
(A.D. 350)

“But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved.”
Matthew 24,13