Salvation (part1)
Some you have heard of, and are familiar with the "concept" of salvation. You may already be born again. Some of you may be unfamiliar with the "reality" of salvation. Salvation is much more than an idea. It is much more grand than a debatable topic to ponder over crumpets and tea. It is a gift. More importantly, salvation is a choice. God is far too loving to force upon us anything that we don't want, including his love. Salvation must be based on a sincere, heart felt desire to know God, and a realization that no matter how great we are, no matter what we achieve, we cannot save ourselves. We have all fallen short of the glory of God, and therefore needed a savior to pay the price for all of our sins lest we pay the penalty on our own. There is no other way that we may have fellowship with God or the forgiveness of sins.
Romans 4:7-8 "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."
What is Salvation?
Salvation is the ultimate act of faith.
Salvation is the precious, undeserved gift of eternal life and the ultimate forgiveness of ones sins. In order to be saved, one must place their faith (hope) in Jesus Christ (the living son of God), believing that he was sent to earth by God to die for the sins of all, that he was crucified (nailed to the cross), buried, and that he rose on after 3 days. Without these beliefs salvation can't be attained. One must also repent of their sins (having a change of heart and turning away from the former lifestyle & mindset) and ask God for forgiveness. After repenting, one then invites or asks the Lord Jesus to live within their heart. You will then begin your walk as a new creature in Christ, with the old things having passed away. You are "born again." You are free from the bounds of sin, and the wages of sin which is death. Salvation is about your soul and where you will spend eternity. It is a decision and a few actions that can happen rather quickly, but the impact lasts for eternity.
Here are more scriptural references about Salvation
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Romans 6:23 " For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Acts 4:12 "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
Romans 3:25 "God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood."
Why would do we need a savior?
I want you to consider a few things concerning this important matter. Though we are alive, and at this moment we are reading these very words, death is a reality for us all.
Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement; 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."
I would dare to say, that if there were no death, there might not be need of a savior. However, since we die, we all need to be saved. The word tells us that after we die, we are to be judged. Who among us could truly stand before a Holy and perfect God, and plead their case like a seasoned lawyer. Who could present such a profound argument as to why God should let you into heaven and spare you from eternal fire? Not one of us! We have all fallen short, and therefore all deserve death!
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
This is what makes a savior so necessary and important. No matter how many good deeds we do (yes they do matter), no matter how pleasant we were, no matter matter how much we gave, it still would not be enough. Does this mean that God is not concerned with the good that you do? Of course not! He wants you to be good and to do what is righteous. However, doing good is not enough to gain salvation or to avoid the penalty of death. This is where so many have become confused, thinking that their "good" works were enough to make them unworthy of God's wrath. Not so. The bible clearly tells us that without Jesus to pay the price for all of our sins, we would ALL have to face hell. That is what makes salvation so beautiful. Through the acceptance of Jesus and his sacrifice we are totally relieved of the burden of paying for our sins. What an amazing gift! Salvation is a gift that anyone can accept. I do mean ANYONE. In God's eyes all sin is sin. The person who sins less is no better than the person who sins more. The thief is no less guilty than the murderer and so on. Anyone who is willing to accept the Lord as their savior and repent of their sins, God is just to forgive and save them! God is no respecter of persons, meaning he doesn't honor the rich more because they dress nicer, and
he doesn't honor the poor less because they have not the finest of clothes or homes. God is just, and cannot lie so take his word as truth! What he says he will do, he will do. He honors righteousness, not skin color, background, profession, material wealth, popularity, and all of the things than people base your worth upon.
Salvation is not something to be taken lightly. It is the difference between an eternity in hell or everlasting life with God in heaven. Escaping hell should not be the only motivation for accepting Christ, but rather a true desire of wanting to be with Lord and free of sin. If you don't truly care to know the Lord but want a way out of punishment, then your heart is not sincere. You must want to know the Lord, because he can see into the depths of the heart, able to read the true intentions of our actions. Hell is a very frightening and terrible place, where we should not go, but we should also desire to go to heaven where God is. Many people don't believe in Hell. They don't believe in God or Jesus either. This is folly however, since there are constant testimonies by those who have witnessed hell first hand and come back to give account to others. There are prophecies from scripture being fulfilled constantly as well. To deny Christ is to deny God, and that is punishable by death in an eternal fire according to God's word. If I didn't care about the souls of all my loved ones, family, friends, and even those I don't know, why would I bother trying to put this message out? I care about you much more than words can say, and I do not want you to go to hell where there is suffering and permanent separation from God.
Some scriptures about the Reality of Hell
Matthew 13:49 "This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
(Luke 16:19-27) Gives a humbling account of a rich man who went to hell and cried out for help in torment.
2 Peter 2:17 "For God did not spare even the angels when they sinned; he threw them into Hell, in gloomy caves and darkness until the judgement day."
Job 18:15 "The home of the wicked will disappear beneath a fiery barrage of burning sulfur (brimstone)."
Matthew 25:41 "Then he will say to those on his left, depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels."
There are many more references to Hell but I won't dwell on the topic. I have accepted the gift of Christ and strive now to live for him according to his word. I am not perfect. I have many faults that if it were not for Christ's sacrifice, I would surely face the fires of Hell. I thank the Lord all the time for his sacrifice on the cross. I pray daily for forgiveness in the areas where I fall short, and ask of God to continue to build me up that I will walk righteously. I do NOT want to be a luke warm Christian. I do not want to make light of the sacrifice he made and continue to do those things that are sinful! After all, I am born again! What business do I have living that old lifestyle? None! I urge you my friend to consider your eternity and where you want to spend it. Do you want to continue to follow the world and share in God's wrath when the day comes? Would you like to be set free and know that your place in Heaven is secured? If so, I pray that you will accept the gift of salvation and become born again. There is no greater decision that you can make, ever. I ask that you would pray for me as well friends. Being a born again Christian does not mean that I am free of responsibility. In fact, my yoke is much heavier because I know the truth. I am without excuse. Pray for me that the Lord would keep me until the coming of his day, that I would remain on the path of righteousness, away from sin, and that the Lord would give me strength to carry out the tasks that he has asked of me. I am of Christ, but still live in a carnal, fleshly world, where I must guard myself carefully from sin, lest I be drawn away! I am more than willing to discuss my faith, and any topics/questions that anyone has. Also, I ask you to please share this blog with the lost. You may already be saved, but know someone who is lost. They need the word of God and this is one way that they can find it. Please spread word and reach the lost. As always, Truth is freedom, Knowledge is power.
