Salvation

To many the term salvation creates a cascade of ideas, thoughts and for some a bit of worry and strife. It is my hope to dispel the fears, brighten the outlook and reveal the very simple plan that God laid out for man to be restored to fellowship with him.

Salvation must begin with the understanding that each of us is a sinner. No-one is a bigger or littler sinner than another. Listen to Romans 3:23 – “ For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”  Each of us has areas of our lives that may be within the boundaries of God’s design but we still fall short. Galatians 5:19-21 describes the base factors for sin in our lives. “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (these are all sexual sins. Sins against one’s own body) idolatry, witchcraft, (both sins against God) hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murder, drunkenness, revellings, (these are sins against our neighbors) and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” So you say, what can I do if I cannot inherit the kingdom of God because I am guilty of one, some or all of these? The answer is quite simple. Jesus Christ. Not Budda, Mohammad, Joseph Smith, or any other self proclaimed messiah. No other person who ever lived has done what Jesus did. He died for us, not himself and some imagined sin he was charged with; no, he died for our sin. Romans 5:8 declares  “But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” His love for us was so great that he willingly took upon himself the curse of the cross. Galatians 3:13 states “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:” Oh, please understand how great that love must be. We love our parents, and our children. We would do anything to prevent harm from coming to them, but we cannot die to prevent that harm. Jesus did. Without the precious death of Jesus we would all be ushered into a devils hell without hope or help. Imagine if you will, the strength of a fallen angel. They are capable of feats of unimaginable strength, beauty beyond compare, and wisdom to seduce even our most intelligent of the human race. Now imagine a place created just for their punishment! That is Hell. It was not created for man, it was created for the Devil and his angels. If you can see that picture, you are beginning to see the horrid nature of such a place. The scripture states it is a place where the Fire is not quenched, and the worm dieth not. Man is the “worm”, and fire, well; I don’t believe it needs to be explained. It is fire. I have had a school friend burned alive in a truck accident and yet if he was without Christ his pain was very minor to the suffering he entered into. Our worst pains on earth will never equal the torment and suffering of a moment in Hell. So how do you escape such a place?

God, through the death, burial and resurrection of his Son, prepared a way for all who will trust and accept his payment. Christ paid our debt, spilt his blood to make a covering for our sin that God the Father could not see through. Romans, once again tells the story: “5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience (Adam) many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (Christ) shall many be made righteous.” Our righteousness comes not from good works, moral deeds done in the flesh, or even from a pure mind for that is not within man. No, our righteousness is from and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast.” Oh what a gift! God allows his Son to die that we might live. All he asks is that we believe that that is what he did; nothing more, nothing less. Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Let me illustrate another way. Jesus had been preaching in the area where a Pharisee had overheard the messages delivered. Through great wonder within his own heart he approached Jesus by night because if he had been found talking to Jesus during the day he would lose his place of authority in the church, he might even lose his life for speaking with the one they so vehemently hated. John 3:3-7 records their discussion. “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

Simply put, we are born of water or an earthly birth, and this does not allow us to see or enter the kingdom of God. But a Spirit driven birth, one where we understand our sin, confess it before the Lord and trust His payment, satisfies the requirements of a Holy God. This is salvation. Baptist is the first and primary act of obedience. It is not a part of salvation. Were that to be so, then the dying thief was lied to by Christ on the cross! Romans 10:9-10 is our final step. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus Christ, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

To help us gain in strength and knowledge, God instituted the church. Please do not mistake this for organized religion. That statement, “I worship God, just not an organized religion” “Why, I can worship just as easily on my boat, or at the golf course”, is usually made by those who have never trusted or tasted of the true goodness of God. Religion placed Christ on the cross. Hebrews 10:25 is our instruction. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Two items are requiring clarification here. The first, being “as the manner of some is”. This is the very people who refuse to attend church because they have blue sky, clear weather or just want to play instead of worship the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Secondly, the exhortation is to remain firm, don’t give up on your faith when times get hard, and believe me they will, “as ye see the day approaching”, that final day when Christ returns to take his children home. What a time that will be when we shall leave this earth in the twinkling of an eye. Faster than light itself we shall be gone, the world will fall to complete disaster and God’s judgement will begin on those who have refused to hear his message of peace.

If you have never really trusted Christ, please do so now. Simply bow your head and with your own words, confess your sin (don’t bother naming them all), and ask Jesus as the Lord of your life. If this is done with the HEART, the freedom you will have is beyond compare and immediate. As joy swells within your heart from feeling as clean as a newborn infant, there is also joy in heaven over your repentance. You just started a party in Heaven!!! As a new Christian you have new hope, new friends and a family spread across this world, as every person alive who follows this simple plan is a part of the Family of God!