Note: I put much more work into this than I initially expected, so while this is not an exhaustive study on the subjects addressed in the title, I hope this will be of use to someone.

I. Salvation is a future goal fulfilled upon resurrection. That prospect can be lost. Just because you believe today does not mean you will be saved on the day of resurrection, unless you hold firm to your faith.

• Salvation is for those who hold their faith firmly. Paul uses the same Greek word, katecho, also found in Luke 8:15.

  • [1Co 15:1-2 NASB20] 1 Now I make known to you, brothers [and sisters,] the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand, 2 by which you also are saved, if you hold firmly to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
  • [Luk 8:15 NASB20] 15 "But the [seed] in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word with a good and virtuous heart, and hold it firmly, and produce fruit with perseverance.

II. As a result, it is actually possible for a believer to sin, and willful persistence in sin merits the Second Death.

• [Rom 6:12-14 NASB20] 12 Therefore sin is not to reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the parts of your body to sin [as] instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and your body's parts [as] instruments of righteousness for God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under the Law but under grace.
• [Rom 6:16 NASB20] 16 Do you not know that [the one] to whom you present yourselves [as] slaves for obedience, you are slaves of [that same one] whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
• [Rom 6:21 NASB20] 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death.
• [Rev 2:11 NASB20] 11 'The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.'

• Though we have received the spirit of adoption, that adoption is not made complete until the resurrection

  • [Rom 8:23 NASB20] 23 And not only [that,] but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for [our] adoption as sons [and daughters,] the redemption of our body.

• [1Co 15:34 NASB20] 34 Sober up morally and stop sinning, for some have no knowledge of God. I say [this] to your shame.

III. The day of our resurrection and salvation is the Day of the Lord, therefore the snatching away cannot happen any sooner than the end of the 70th Week, which is towards the end of the tribulation. If there is any question as to what exactly the Day of the Lord is, the prophets of the Hebrew scriptures made it clear that it will be the day of salvation for the righteous remnant of Israel, and a day of destruction for the wicked. It was not a previously undisclosed mystery.

• [1Th 5:23 NASB20] 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• [1Co 5:1, 5 NASB20] 1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and sexual immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, [namely,] that someone has his father's wife. ... 5 [I have decided] to turn such a person over to Satan for the destruction of his body, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.

• There are only two resurrections apart from Jesus' own personal resurrection.

  • [Rev 20:6 NASB20] 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

• This first resurrection happens at the Lord's return. I don't see any indication that there will be a pre-tribulation or mid-tribulation return. The mystery is that all believers are resurrected into immortal bodies, not that the snatching away happens before or at the mid-point of the tribulation.

  • [1Co 15:22-24 NASB20] 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, 24 then [comes] the end, when He hands over the kingdom to [our] God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
  • [1Th 4:15 NASB20] 15 For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
  • [1Th 5:1-4 NASB20] 1 Now as to the periods and times, brothers [and sisters,] you have no need [of anything] to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction will come upon them like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers [and sisters,] are not in darkness, so that the day would overtake you like a thief;

IV. While it's true that there are two separate gospels (of the circumcised and uncircumcised), there is only one Body and Bride of Christ, and both groups are in that same Body.

• The book of Hebrews was most likely addressed to the circumcised, yet there seems to be indication that the circumcised were also in the Body.

  • [Heb 13:3 NASB20] 3 Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, [and] those who are badly treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.

• Paul made it clear that the Body was identified with the Bride and Sanctuary. The city of New Jerusalem will be the final dwelling of our Lord, who will be its Sanctuary. This same city is also called the Bride of the Lamb, and the city is promised to Abraham. Therefore, I believe the Body of Christ actually includes all believers, from Abraham until the Day of the Lord.

  • [Rev 21:9 NASB20] 9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, full of the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."
  • [Rev 21:22 NASB20] 22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
  • [Heb 11:8-10 NASB20] 8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he left, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he lived as a stranger in the land of promise, as [in] a foreign [land,] living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; 10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
  • This city must be the New Jerusalem mentioned in Rev 3:12.

• Abraham's seed includes all who have faith in Christ (both circumcised and uncircumcised), therefore the promised city of New Jerusalem belongs to all of his spiritual seed; furthermore, the Body, the Sanctuary, and the Bride must include all of Abraham's spiritual seed.

  • [Rom 4:10-12 NASB20] 10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.