Encourageme

Salvation

Salvation is the most precious gift of all eternity, and accepting it was the most profound and awesome thing that could have happened to you. Of all of life’s endeavors and accomplishments, none equals that of making Jesus Christ, Lord. If salvation is not presently your personal reality, you might ask "why do I need to be saved?" Well to be quite honest, everyone will not receive this wonderful gift from God, but if you’re reading this, it’s not far from your reach. Salvation will completely transform your life.  

You might think that your life is just fine as it is.   All of your ducks appear to be lined up, and overall, you’re feeling pretty peachy.  But even if all is well in your world, if someone offered you the  most valuable treasure of all eternity, would you turn it down?  That’s exactly what you’d be doing if you’ve failed to take advantage of the awesome gift of salvation.   

In order for anyone to appreciate the enormous importance of being saved, an understanding of three basic truths is paramount.  The first truth is that God is supremely omnipotent.  He is all powerful and all knowing.  He is truly a God of love. Anything that exists does so because of Him, and the splendor of the earth and everything else that He has created fully expresses His love for mankind.   

PSALM 24:1,2
1 The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

The second truth is that God has very specifically ordained the universe and its inhabitants for a glorious purpose. That purpose and plan is extraordinary and it has much to do with each of us. Why is it extraordinary? Because He gave His only son so that we might have an opportunity to tap into more glory and power than our minds can imagine.  

The third truth is that we are spirit beings having a human experience, not the other way around. This earth is just a temporary home. Life provides us with the opportunity to go as high as we can in the  things of God. It gives us a chance to know Him intimately, to learn of His ways, to demonstrate His power through the holy spirit within us, and to become more like Him.  But how much we truly realize our fullest capacity and potential through God is completely left to us. 

For the Christian, the goal is to become more like Christ everyday.  He will forever be the most phenomenal example of God’s love, and the extent to which we mold ourselves in his image determines the true measure and quality of life. 

What if your life is plagued with insecurity, strife, and poverty? You’ve tried and tried to turn things around, only to end up making them worse. You don’t know what to do or where to turn?  The answer to all your trouble is as simple as can be.  Your way hasn’t worked so give God a try.  Allow Him to transform you.  Become born again.

The term "born again" is used in the bible because this transformation is as miraculous as a new birth.
Romans 10:9-10
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Jesus Christ is the son of God. He walked upon this earth to fulfill God’s plan of salvation. When Adam and Eve sinned, something pretty significant was severed and the devil entered the picture. He is the archenemy of God and Jesus Christ, and the author of sin. When the devil tempted Adam and Eve and caused their fall, man was no longer able to enjoy the same connection he had previously with God. Jesus Christ, through His tremendous love for us, gave his life to restore that connection.

Ephesians 2:1-10 (World Bible)
1 You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins,
2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air (*the devil), the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience;
3 among whom we also all once lived in the lust of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus;
8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, that no one would boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

Ephesians 2:17-19 kjv
17 And came and preached peace (*the gospel) to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. (*we were out there in left field somewhere—afar off, muddling around in our own sin until we heard the gospel and accepted Christ.)
18 For through Him (*Jesus Christ) we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers (*after salvation) and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

How wonderful is that? After salvation we become fellowcitizens of the household of God. This is a magnificent honor.  Jesus Christ accomplished this for us, and when we acknowledge it, we give God the authority to plant the holy spirit within.

Ephesians 1:13 kjv
13 In Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.

At some point we must realize that we have not been successful lords of our own lives. We become ever so cognizant of the hole in our inner being, feeling as well that there has to be more. At that very moment something moves on the inside. Your inner-person begins to make room for the possibility of Christ and everything He accomplished out of God’s tremendous love for us. Then, at the very point where your heart and mind are in sync, confession is made with your mouth and your transformation begins. The darkness that’s made your life home begins to disappear with the introduction of the glorious light of Jesus Christ. You discover a whole new way of living, loving, thinking, acting, giving, and receiving.

If you are not saved, and upon reading this you feel something different on the inside, some folks experience a tightening or swelling sensation in the depths of their soul, don’t be afraid. Romans 8:29 says that God foreknew that you would take this step.  

29 For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He (the son) might be the firstborn among many brethen.

It is a wonderful thing that is about to happen to you. Go into your private space, literally and/or mentally, quiet yourself and pray this prayer from the most earnest and honest place in your heart:

Father God, in the name of Your son, Jesus Christ, I come before You. I thank You for the many blessings You have given me through the years. I thank You that right now, this very  second, I am known of You. I realize that You know me even more intimately than I know I myself, and that You have directed my path to bring me to the wonderful step I am about to take. I acknowledge that I have sinned—that I have done things that were not right, and I humbly ask Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus died for my sins so that I could have eternal life. Right now and forever after, I accept him as my Lord and Savior, and I give my life to You, God. Accept me as Your child and teach me to live by the holy spirit. I pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Now that you have earnestly prayed this prayer, pray and ask God to lead you to a place of worship and fellowship where you can receive the spiritual nurturing you’ll need to grow and continue standing on the Word. Read the bible, Matthew is a good place to start. While you are waiting for God to work that out, please write to us with your questions or if you wish to receive more instruction in the things of God. We will pray for you and help you as much as possible. Please continue reading, it gets better.

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Why salvation? Well without going into an in-depth explanation that will be necessary as you continue to grow, we’ll extend the basics.  Salvation is not a magic wand that alleviates your present situation. Life is life, and at times it can be extremely challenging. You might be dealing with some pretty heavy stuff right now and you're seeking a way out.  Is salvation a way out?  Absolutely!  Salvation does several great things, but the most miraculous is the change that it causes at the very core of your being when you make the decision to pattern your life after Christ. Salvation makes the holy spirit available, and the holy spirit is the believer's power base for success.

Many who become born again and receive salvation, become impatient and discouraged because  God doesn't snap His fingers and make everything peachy.  You see, spiritual maturity is the name of the game, and it is achieved through a diligent prayer life, personal discipline, study of God's Word, and most importantly, patience.  God has given us a roadmap for life, and salvation gives us everything we need for the trip.  It opens the door for us to step into God's extraordinary plan. 

There's no way around it. We must do things God's way because His way is the absolute best! Think of our government and the interworkings of the law as a framework.  The purpose of this system of law is to govern and maintain order in our country, so that it functions beautifully. Man wants to believe that He is a God unto himself, and that He has established the premise of legality, but it isn't so. Our legal system is largely based on God’s standard of right and wrong. As citizens of the United States we can live peaceable lives to the extent that we follow the letter of the law.   It is when we break those laws, thus breaking the order, that we reap havoc. Well, God is infinitely more just than any earthly judge could ever hope to be, therefore order is even more supreme with Him.

As you read the bible you will notice that everything God does has an order. Take the creation for instance, it was brought into existence in the order that God set forth. He is supremely omnipotent and could have completed the creation in one swoop, but He did not. He established an order and the laws of the universe as well; and try as man might, he cannot break the laws of the universe without significant ramifications.

At some point in His establishment of order, the Word does not tell us when, God set in motion the plan of salvation. It is a free-will gift, meaning that God will not make us receive it—the choice is ours to make. Our government is constantly revising our legal system to better the laws in this country in an effort to achieve fairness. When God does something it is without flaw. There is no need for revisions. So the plan of salvation and the laws of the universe are a done deal. They were magnificently crafted from the beginning. When we fathom the splendor of what He has done so that we could have the free-will choice whether or not to love Him, it is more astounding that our minds can comprehend.

The wonderful and extraordinary truth about God’s plan is that it is based on love. Everything that He has done, including the gift of His son for our redemption, was done out of His love for us.

John 3:16
16  For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God’s plan is brilliant. It works with a mathematical precision for those of us who fall into it. So you see God’s intention is not that we walk around like robots, responding to Him automatically, without thought or will. His desire is that we choose to follow the path that He has laid before us. When we do, our journey is a spiritual one; when we don’t, it is one full of darkness, confusion, and strife. When we do not follow God’s plan, our lives are counterfeits; the devil makes them appear as though they are the real thing, but the real thing is to live life as God intended it, full of love and light..

God’s plan works beautifully. (Now check this out) This is exactly why the enemy uses his every trick to take us out of it, and to keep us away from salvation. He knew that there would be folks walking around all over the place with the love of Jesus Christ in their hearts and operating non-stop miracles and wonders all the time. If we stay the course, we would put him completely out of business.

1 PETER 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

JOHN 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (*This is Jesus speaking.)

1 CORINTHIANS 2:7
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

8 Which none of the princes (*devil spirits) of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Sisters do you get this! You ought to be shoutin’ right now sho’nuff. God’s plan of salvation is so awesome that if the devil had known that we would have the kind of power that God made available, the devil would not have crucified Christ! This is why we must step into His plan—why we must operate holy spirit power, because guess what Sisters, the devil knows God’s law better than we do, and he has to abide by it. He can’t just come into our lives and reap confusion and havoc unless we give him authority. How do we give him authority? Through disobedience and not following the plan.  How could we not do everything in our power to know the Will of God through His Word, and to live accordingly?  Sister’s, this is what it’s all about.

Thus, God will not make us step into the greatness of all He has made available through Jesus Christ. Salvation is the start of a life long process of going higher and higher to the end that we are believing: 

·    That we are who God says we are;

·    And we can do what God says we can do.

So when you receive salvation, it is a miraculous beginning to an evolution of spiritual heights.  And the degree to which you elevate yourself is dependent upon the actions you take

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THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BELIEVERS

Just as an ambassador in the earth’s realm makes known important information about the country they represent, as ambassadors for Christ, we make known his gospel.

2 Corinthians 5:20

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

2 Timothy 1:9

9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Romans 8:29

29 For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He (the son) might be the firstborn among many brethen.

30 Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.

Sister girl, you have an awesome calling. It may have been a crisis situation that led you to salvation, or maybe you were raised in a Christian home and knew the goodness of God from childhood. Whatever the cause, God called you out. We didn’t receive salvation because of any great thing we did. It was a gift. And with that gift comes some truths that we must acknowledge. Acts 2:8 says that  we would receive power after the holy spirit, and that we are to be witnesses of the Gospel. Why are we to be witnesses?