The 3 Tenses of Salvation. There are three tenses to salvation … Past, Present and Future. Past Tense: Justification Separation from the Penalty of Sin. You have been saved. 1 Corinthians 6:11, Titus 3:5, Colossians 1:13, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:1-2, Colossians 2:13-14