Salvation is not a mere past event, nor is it a distant hope. For Paul, salvation is a present-tense reality—the ongoing, experiential supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. This supply is not theoretical; it is the very means by which believers gain Christ, experience true spiritual growth, and live empowered lives regardless of their circumstances. If you reduce salvation to a transaction that only secures your future, you have already forfeited the inheritance God intends for you now.
Shut In—Opened Up
Paul wrote Philippians from prison, utterly “shut in.” To the natural mind, this is defeat. But God’s logic is not ours. Being “shut in” is a positive tool in God’s hand, designed for one purpose: that you would discover and enjoy Christ more deeply through the supply of the Spirit. Every circumstance—especially those that hem you in—has this singular aim: that you would gain Christ. God orchestrates all things, not merely to rescue you from situations, but to conform you to the image of His Son by making Christ your present satisfaction and supply.
“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)
This is not the language of a man who has settled for mere forgiveness. This is the speech of an heir, one who knows that justification and reconciliation are not ends in themselves, but qualifications for something greater: the enjoyment of Christ as our inheritance now. If you stop at positional truth and never press into the subjective enjoyment of Christ, you have missed the very purpose for which you were saved.
The Supply of the Spirit—Our Present Salvation
The supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ is not an optional extra; it is the very means of present-tense salvation. This supply is what delivers you—not just from hell, but from yourself, from defeat, from fear, and from the tyranny of your own disposition. It is the Spirit who enables you to walk worthily of the Gospel, to magnify Christ in your body, and to stand bold in the face of every adversary.
If you attempt to live by law-keeping, ordinance-following, or ethical striving, you will miss this supply entirely. Such efforts are not neutral—they are negative, and they cut you off from the living experience of Christ. The Christian life is not about imitating Christ or modeling His example; it is about gaining Christ as your very life, by the Spirit.
“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14)
To “drink” is not to perform, but to receive. The fountain is open—will you drink, or will you stand at a distance, content with knowledge but devoid of satisfaction?
From Condemnation to Fellowship—The Practical Outworking
Consider the daily reality: you wake up in a foul mood, speak harshly, and immediately feel condemned. The flesh would have you spiral into guilt, striving to fix yourself before coming to God. But the Gospel exposes this as folly. You have an Advocate—Jesus Christ the Righteous. By faith in His blood, you are cleansed, your conscience is washed, and the Spirit supplies you with newness of life. In two minutes, you can move from defeat to fellowship, not by your effort, but by the supply of the Spirit. This is practical salvation—not a theory, but a living reality.
If you refuse this way, you remain a slave to your disposition, forever circling the same mountain of defeat. But if you stand in the Gospel, the Spirit breaks your limitations, opens new paths, and leads you into the enjoyment of Christ. This is not a privilege for a spiritual elite—it is the common portion of every heir. You are fully qualified to drink of the Spirit because you have been transferred into the kingdom of the Son of His love. Everything Christ is, and everything He has, is yours now in the Spirit.
Boldness—The Mark of Present Salvation
Paul’s boldness in the face of slander, accusation, and adversity was not the product of natural courage. It was the fruit of the Spirit’s supply. When you stand for the Gospel, you will have adversaries. Unity is not found in appeasing everyone or lowering your voice to a whisper. It is found in striving together for the faith of the Gospel, unafraid and unashamed. Your boldness is not arrogance—it is a token of salvation, a visible sign that you are drinking from the living fountain while others remain parched.
If you shrink back, you do not merely lose an argument; you lose the experience of Christ as your present salvation. You forfeit the very glory God intends to display in you. The Spirit supplies not only belief, but also the privilege of suffering for Christ’s sake. This conflict is not a mark of failure, but of Gospel worthiness. As you depend on the Spirit, Christ is magnified in your body—whether by life or by death.
What Is Lost If You Accept the Error
If you accept the error that salvation is only positional, or that Christian living is a matter of law-keeping or ethical striving, you sever yourself from the present supply of the Spirit. You render the inheritance of sonship and the enjoyment of Christ null in your daily experience. You reduce the Gospel to a contract, and forfeit the very purpose for which God saved you: to gain Christ, to be satisfied in Him, and to magnify Him in your mortal body. The error is not minor—it is a collapse of justification’s intended outcome, a denial of your inheritance, and a rejection of the Spirit’s supply.
The Only Way Forward
The Christian life is not sustained by your effort, your resolve, or your ability to imitate Christ. It is sustained by the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. This supply is your present salvation. It is the means by which you gain Christ, walk in newness of life, and stand bold in the face of every adversary. Refuse substitutes. Drink deeply. Let the Gospel rule over you, and let the Spirit supply you with all that is yours in Christ. This is the path God has opened—a new and living way, not dependent on you, but on Him who is faithful.
Let us walk in it, and see Christ magnified in our bodies, to the praise of His glory.
