BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name
under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
(Acts 4:12)
MEDITATION:
We hear the word ‘salvation’ a lot, but unfortunately some people
seem to think, or make it appear, complicated. When we search in
God’s Word, we find that it’s not complicated at all. It may be a
struggle for some to attain it, but it is not due to any difficulty in
understanding what is expected of those with a desire to be saved.
The first thing we need to realize is that salvation is an act of God.
It is initiated by God, fashioned by God, and sustained by God. He
chose to provide it for mankind because He loves us and wants us
to fellowship with Him – while we are living now and for eternity.
Consequently, He didn’t want us to have to travel a confusing route
to get there; or complete a list of tasks as a way of earning it. No, it
is a free gift from God and our requirement is to believe in His Son,
Jesus Christ. There is no other name by which we can be saved.
What does ‘believe in Jesus Christ’ mean? It means we believe that He
is the Son of God, that He went to the cross to be a living sacrifice for
our sins, that He died, was buried and three days later was resurrected,
and that He is in Heaven with God at this moment.
The faith that saves the soul is the faith in Christ as the Son of God – not
as a great man or even a good man, but as the unique Son of the living
God, our heavenly Father!
Because God is involved and knows our weaknesses, there are some things
that He initiates when He gives us His free gift of salvation.
– God knows we need assistance to live as a follower
of Jesus, so He gives us the Holy Spirit as our advocate.
– One of the beauties of salvation is we become His disciples
and are given at least one Spiritual gift we can use as a way
of serving Him and pointing others to His Son, Jesus. We
might think it involves becoming a type of missionary or
teacher, but God can use each of us right where we are. He
will not ‘call’ us to do anything without equipping us to do
it. Part of being qualified to serve is to realize we will need
to be dependent on His help and guidance. God wants us to
be dependent on Him, and not independent within ourselves.
– On the day we receive salvation, God initiates a ‘sanctification’
process of purging us of unrighteousness and filling the void
with righteousness. It can create challenges for as God begins
to transforms us from who we are, to who He wants us to be.
We may be required to endure some stern discipline from
God as a means of breaking us of our prideful attitude and
teaching us to be humble followers of Jesus (who was humble
Himself). It is a lifelong process that culminates when we go
to be with the Lord.
We have all heard the phrase, “Misery loves company” and we know
how true that can be. The one with great misery, Satan, wants us to
join him, so he will try to discourage us from seeking salvation. Why?
Because he knows the misery of missing out on paradise.
He knows his time is limited and he will soon face the punishment for
his rejection of God, so he wants to take as many with him as he can.
And it’s not because he loves us or cares about us. It is all about him
and the bad choice he made. His heart and mind are full of evil, and
it gives him pleasure to see others experience ‘paradise lost’ too.
Satan wants us to believe that receiving salvation means we have new
things to accomplish. But what he hides from us is, the amazing blessings
God has for those who belong to Him and have chosen to surrender their
will for His will and involvement in their lives.
Satan is relentless in his efforts and will even try to convince those who
have received salvation to believe they made a mistake. Serving the Lord
has its challenges which are designed to make us more righteous as God
transforms us into more of a likeness of Jesus.
However, Satan wants to render us ineffective by causing us to focus on the
challenges themselves, instead of the amazing blessings we will receive when
facing the challenges. When we choose to trust God and His love for us, instead
of allowing any new problems to overwhelm us and cause us to resent how God
is transforming us, Satan hates it and is jealous of the fellowship we have with
the Lord; a love that he chose to forfeit because of his pride and selfishness.
ACTION:
Questions to ask ourselves:
– Have I expressed my faith in Jesus Christ
and received salvation from the Lord?
– If not, would I want to have assurance that I will
will spend eternity in Heaven and not in the lake of fire?
– Am I willing to allow God to change me to become the
person He wants me to be, even if I feel uncomfortable
in the beginning of His transformation of me?
– Will I diligently seek to identify
the Spiritual gift He has given me.
– Am I willing to serve Him in the way He has called me to serve?
– Will I embrace or rebel against His
efforts to create a humble attitude in me?
If you want salvation, then schedule a meeting with a pastor or
bible teacher and talk about it with them. If you have already
received salvation, then consider your responsibility and desire
to see others pointed to the Lord, so they can also receive His
salvation.
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your gift of salvation. Thank You
Jesus, for Your obedience to God, which made salvation possible for
everyone. It is difficult for me to grasp the depth of Your love for
mankind and to understand how You could endure the physical
and emotional pain You suffered because of Your love for us. Your
love and Your obedience to our Heavenly Father have made it possible
for every person to spend an eternity in heaven. It can be a reality for
everyone who expresses their faith in You. Lord, as a follower of You,
help me to point others to their opportunity for salvation. Develop in
me a love and concern for others that is similar to Yours. I believe in
You, and I worship and praise Your holy name. Help me to willingly
be molded into a person who is humble, more righteous, and ready
to become a disciple who will serve wherever You have called me.”
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