For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.  Romans 1:16 NKJV

The Gospel is God’s good news to sinners that His Son Jesus Christ has taken their sins on Himself (1 Peter 2:24) and satisfied God’s demand for justice, by bearing the penalty of death for them (Ezek. 18:20); and not only that, He rose from the dead to give them eternal life (John 3:16). The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, in three dimensions, to everyone who believes: in their past, present, and future.

Salvation is not just a past single isolated event in one’s life. Salvation is progressive and effected by the Gospel which is the power of God. Naturally speaking, a Life Guard may save a drowning person today, but he doesn’t continue to save the person daily, nor does he promise to save the person in the future. When a sinner is saved in response to the Gospel message, the Gospel becomes the power of God unto that sinner’s past, present, and future salvation. The Gospel teaches us that Jesus Christ is a sinner’s spiritual Life Guard (Acts 4:12).

Salvation past occurred when a believer was saved from the guilt and the penalty of sin in their life (Luke 7:36-50). This is one’s initial salvation produced by the power of the Gospel. After this initial salvation, the believer is saved daily from the power of sin (Rom. 6:14). God’s standard for every believer to live a holy life. This expectation is never lowered; in fact, under Moses, the Law demanded holiness, but no man was able to keep the Law. God also requires a holy life under grace, too; but grace makes holiness possible—Christ lives His life through the believer.

Salvation future is a promise that every believer will be saved from the presence of sin in his old nature and become wholly sin-free just like the Lord (Rom. 13:11). Thus, if a sinner believed and acted on Romans 10:9 and 10, he was saved, he is being saved daily, and he shall be saved when he appears before the Lord in Glory. This is the progressive power of God unto salvation!