Is Today the Only Day of Salvation?

It’s widely believed that if people do not become truly converted Christians in this lifetime before the return of Jesus Christ, then they are utterly lost. But what does the Bible actually teach?

The largely unrecognized truth is that this is not the age in which God is trying to save all the world! It is not the only day (or time) of salvation. A time is coming when all who’ve ever lived will be given an opportunity to repent and receive eternal life. And this is directly related to the fall festivals God has given in Scripture.

Satan’s rule in the present age

Scripture plainly reveals Satan the devil as the god of this world (or this age), that he is the prince of the power of the air, and that he is the actual spirit ruler of this present world (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2-3; John 12:31). He is in power! He offered to give this power to Jesus if He would only worship him (Matthew 4:9). Yet it was through resisting Satan’s temptations that Jesus received from God the Father the right to that power—to dethrone and replace Satan. When Christ comes to rule, Satan will be utterly stripped of power. But he has power for now!

Satan retains his power only by God’s express permission. God has allowed Satan to rule over mankind since the decision in the Garden of Eden to follow him instead of submitting to God’s rule. And during this time of his reign, it is simply not given to everyone to understand God’s truth (see Luke 8:10).

Satan’s work is a labor of deceiving mankind, of turning God’s truth upside down, and of causing sincere people to accept a counterfeit for the genuine, thereby deceiving people into sin. Sadly, he has been very successful (Revelation 12:9).

We are now nearing the end of Satan’s rule over mankind. The millennial reign of Jesus Christ is coming, and rulership will belong to Him (Revelation 11:15; Revelation 20:4-6). Satan will then be chained, restrained and thrown into the symbolic “bottomless pit” (Revelation 20: 1-4)—he will not then deceive a single person. That time will not belong to him. Rather it will belong to God, who will rule through Christ, with salvation offered to all humanity!

All unsaved not forever lost

Traditional Christianity has historically taught that at the end of their physical lives in this age, all people are either “saved” (blessed with eternity with God) or “lost” (condemned to hell). This is a misunderstanding that has led to untold suffering and unnecessary grief.

It’s based on the notion that this is the one and only age and time when God is trying desperately to save the world—that the mission of the Church is to save the world while there’s still time.

If this is true, then what about those who lived and died before the birth of Jesus? What about those who lived in lands who never heard or knew Jesus Christ’s gospel message? What about those who grew up in other religions or those who never stepped inside a church door?

The Bible plainly says there is but one name given under heaven among men whereby we must be saved—the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). There is no other way to God except through Him (John 14:6). Yet there have been vast multitudes of people who never heard of Christ or what He taught before they died. According to typical Christian teaching, those people are forever lost. They were unaware of repentance from sin as necessary for forgiveness and salvation. They probably didn’t even know what sin is, much less its consequence. They were never taught the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Is it reasonable to believe that a God of love brought these individuals into the world without their knowledge or consent, permitted them to live and die without ever having heard the gospel, and so has simply consigned them to eternal punishment without ever having a chance to be saved?

God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). And Jesus stated that ancient pagans would have repented if they had experienced His miracles and teachings (Luke 10:13).

So will God save them by some other means—perhaps if they lived up to the best they knew, without having known and accepted Christ? We can find no such teaching in the Bible, and we’ve already seen that there is no other way to God.

Misunderstood scripture

Some have been confused by 2 Corinthians 6:2, which says that “now is the day of salvation.” Note that it doesn’t say “the only day.” Moreover, in this passage the apostle Paul quoted from Isaiah 49:8, but the Hebrew text there does not have a definite article (“the” in English). Neither does the Greek text of 2 Corinthians 6:2. So it’s “A day of salvation”—A time of deliverance. Even if a “the” were implied, it would only mean it’s the time of salvation for God’s followers in this age.

This is the day of salvation for those who have been called and have had their minds opened to the truth by God. Now is their opportunity to repent and overcome to be part of God’s Kingdom. But it is not the day of salvation for the vast majority of people, who will receive their first and only opportunity at a later time

Consider also that if it were the only day of salvation back in Paul’s lifetime, we would be cut off today. But Paul was quoting a scripture hundreds of years older. Was that time in the days of Isaiah the only day of salvation? Obviously not. Today, as in the time of Paul, it was A time of deliverance—among others.

Not all are called now

God will deny no one an opportunity for salvation. The overwhelming majority of mankind is simply not called now in this time of Satan’s rule. The devil is working to draw people away from being saved, but this is also simply not the time when God is trying to save everyone.

If He were, then clearly Satan would be winning the contest—as most of the world has not even been Christian in name. But in reality, there is no contest between God and Satan. God rules over all creation. He allows Satan’s dominion to continue for now, as this serves God’s wise purposes—for example, helping mankind to see from experience the terrible results of Satan’s lies and deception.

Realize also that God does things His way and in His time, and in His plan all are not being called now. Billions who have died without an opportunity to receive salvation will be resurrected and given their full opportunity—and without Satan around to tempt them. The Bible speaks of this second or general resurrection after 1,000 years of Christ’s reign in Revelation 20:5 and verses 11-12, among other passages.

Those in the first resurrection (Revelation 20:4-6) are Christ’s faithful followers from this age, striving to endure in God’s ways to the end. They will be changed into immortal spirit beings at Christ’s return to inherit the Kingdom (see 1 Corinthians 15:45, 1 Corinthians 15:49-54). They will then rule with Christ and teach the nations (Revelation 2:27; Revelation 3:21).

They are now just the beginning.

Even most who have professed to follow Christ in this age have not really understood the truth. God will give them and all people a real opportunity to repent and follow Him in the future.

Not a second chance

But, some will say, is not this the doctrine of a second chance? No, it is not.

Hebrews 6 and 10 make this very plain. Those not called now have not received the knowledge of the truth. Therefore, they have not been ultimately judged for salvation.

Most do not really grasp this. The truth is spiritual knowledge, and spiritual knowledge cannot be transmitted naturally to a mortal human mind. Spiritual truth is revealed (1 Corinthians 2:14). No one truly understands except as God opens their understanding, and by His Spirit reveals to them the truth.

But if one has been truly called of God, convicted by God’s Spirit, his mind opened to the precious spiritual knowledge of the truth, then if that man sins willfully, deliberately, rejecting God, that man is condemned to eternal death (Hebrews 6:4-8; Hebrews 10:26-27; Galatians 5:19-21). Such a person has had his opportunity.

Those who shall then be called to salvation are those who have not, until then, been called. They are those who never had an opportunity. In God’s own time, according to His plan, all will have their opportunity.

The great fall harvest

When Jesus Christ returns in power and glory, the dead in Christ (those who accepted His call and have been finally saved) will be resurrected immortal, and His followers still living will be changed (1 Corinthians 15:50-53).

They will meet Jesus Christ in the clouds—and will then come to reign with Him on the earth (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Revelation 5:10). Christ’s throne will then be established on the earth—the throne of His ancestor David (Luke 1:32). That is the throne on which the saints made immortal shall sit with Him (Revelation 3:21). And He will rule over the nations for the 1,000 years.

Over that time, there will be a process of separating between those who respond to God’s calling and those who don’t (Matthew 25:31-34, Matthew 25:41). Note that all those called and saved prior to Christ’s second appearing on earth are separated from the unsaved before He descends to the earth and sits on the throne of His glory. Thus, the separation going on after He sits on that throne ruling over the nations is a new phase in the process.

The people of the world will then go through an evaluation process over their lifetime according to the decisions they make and the actions they take then. Those who turn to a life of righteousness are set on the right hand. They are converted and given immortality, for Christ says to them, along with His followers of this age, “Inherit the kingdom”—and mortal flesh and blood cannot inherit that Kingdom (1 Corinthians 15:50).

Those who do evil then receive the penalty of the law—death (Romans 6:23). They are sentenced to destruction in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).

These passages, then, picture a process of salvation continuing after Christ’s return and during His millennial reign and beyond. That is the great “fall harvest of people” celebrated in the fall Holy Days (see Leviticus 23:23-41). The Feast of Trumpets pictures the return of Jesus Christ. The Day of Atonement pictures the banishment of Satan and of mankind coming to receive Christ. The great seven-day Feast of Tabernacles symbolizes Christ’s reign over the world. And the concluding “Eighth Day” looks beyond to salvation being offered to those of past ages resurrected together.

The astonishing fact is that the present human harvest (compare Matthew 9:36-38; John 4:34-36) corresponds to the late spring grain harvest in the Holy Land, which was celebrated at the Feast of Pentecost. It is so pictured in the annual round of festivals God gave to Israel to keep His people continually in the understanding of His plan.

This age is the preliminary harvest of human beings. During this time of Satan’s dominion, God is calling out of it a people for His name, that through His mercy on those who now are called, the great majority not now called may then obtain mercy. Those called to salvation now are the “firstfruits” of God’s salvation (James 1:18). They are called now to prepare to become kings and priests, the instrumentality through which Christ will really save the world when His time for that comes. What a glorious plan and gospel!

Those who died unsaved

And so it follows that most of our loved ones who have died unsaved did not die lost if they were not called during this age. Their call is coming later. They will be brought back to life and given their fair opportunity. And you, if you are being called, with God revealing this wonderful truth to your mind and giving you conviction of heart to act on it, are having your one and only opportunity now—your opportunity to prepare yourself to be used of Christ in the loving labor of helping to save the rest of mankind!

What great meaning we begin to see in the call to be followers of Christ. This understanding shows the purpose of our life, why we were born, and what our lives after death can be. Will you, in the words of 2 Peter 1:10, “make your call and election sure”?

Again, today is not the only day of salvation. The present age is not a time of Jesus Christ desperately contesting with Satan over whether humanity will be saved or lost. Christ will return to rule, to teach and to offer salvation to all! But that offer to you may well be right now.