Christian Living

Salvation Is More Than

by paul hoffmaster
08/17/23
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When you think of God’s Grace which is displayed through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are immediately overcome with the reality of God’s love.  To attempt to comprehend what transpired all most two thousand years ago is well beyond our ability to fully understand.  If it were possible to grasp the reality of what happened, it would be impossible to be “lukewarm.” 

One of the biggest challenges that Christians face is attempting to transfer the intangible to the tangible, to see or hear something that is not visible or audible.  It takes faith to have faith.  To believe what we read from the Word of God often defies human reasoning.  If we state our acceptance of the Scriptures we will either be challenged to act on the Word or simply store it as knowledge.

 Many people accept the fact that they have been Born Again through the finished work of Jesus.  The problem is getting that truth to pass through the mind and into the heart!  Some Christians try to fuse the mind and heart.  When that happens the mind determines what is to be acted upon or simply believed.  The mind affirms our belief while the heart motivates transformation in our lives.

 Apostle Peter states emphatically that through Jesus’ resurrection, the new Believer has an “inheritance” that is incorruptible and undefiled.  It does not fade away and is reserved in Heaven for those that adhere, trust, and rely on the infallibility of God’s Word.  Not being able to see Jesus, yet through Faith, we have the ability to love Him.  Even in our trials, we are able to rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and full of glory. (1 Peter 1:1-9)

Salvation is the reward for exercising our Faith.  The Apostle Paul weaves a thread throughout his epistles that challenges the Believer to build upon his Faith.  Becoming a follower of Jesus is 100% commitment.  It is not just proclaiming your Faith, it is living that Faith.  It is more than tithing your time.  It is living a totally committed life.  It is practicing and building upon the Word that lifts the Kingdom of God from the pages of the Scriptures and displays it to a lost world.

Works do not save us, but our works show Jesus in us.  Christianity is not a fad but a lifestyle.  It is not being hot or cold, but a burning desire to live the life that God has called us to display. 

People have believed incomplete truths.  They believe that simply believing in Jesus is all that is necessary for the journey to the afterlife.   There are warnings against limited actions.  There are yellow lights that bring us cautious awareness.  There are red lights that stop our direction, and there are green lights that say proceed.  People must return to the Scriptures to understand what God’s Word says about salvation.  We need to hear the whole Truth.   

To believe we have been saved as a result of a brief “religious” experience void of affirmative action is a dangerous ignorance.  Few churches preach and teach what constitutes the Christian journey and as a result, Jesus’ warning in Matthew 7:14 is still echoing today.