Christian doctrine teaches salvation is a one-time event—it occurs when one accepts Jesus as one’s personal savior. However my book lists three passages which state salvation is a process over time, not an event: “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:15), “. . .continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12), and “because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:14).
Our pastor recently preached a sermon on the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) and referenced another passage that indicates sometimes it takes grief to change us. This passage is in II Corinthians 7:7-13 in which Paul is talking to Christians, not the unsaved. He was referring to a past event where Paul reproved the Corinthians which had caused them some grief but as a result the Corinthians had changed their ways. It it within this context that Paul says: “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10 ESV). So how can “godly grief” produce repentance which leads to salvation for those who are already saved? So maybe salvation is not a one-time event. Maybe it is a process.
