A Simple Salvation?

 

What if God had decided in Eden to forgive Adam and put him back into the garden with the same one command and he and Eve just kept breaking it? Or what if God gave His people the Law and never offered any other way to be right with Him? This would mean that to be ‘saved’ all people must totally obey God, and when we didn’t, we had to make all those expensive sacrifices, do those time-consuming purifications, and vow many abstinences. This means  remaining under a yoke we could not bear.

Think about the options. Disobedience could demand “a thousand lambs,” and “rivers of oil” rather than a sincere confession and repentance. Instead, in Christ we are forgiven, cleansed and through faith given a glorious life requiring only that that we believe what He says and live in relationship with Him. 

Faith is about our believing in God's goodness and the reality of His intentions. It is about trusting His Word, relying upon His promises, and gladly receiving and embracing His crucified Son. Faith is also having a sincere respect to all I discover about His will. What can be easier than this? 

Yet even in the days of the apostles, and still to this day, some try to introduce a multitude of legal burdens. Do they envy God's incredible expression of His goodness in the Gospel? Or has He been guilty of treating us too favorably? Faith does not take God for granted or treat this favor lightly; it simply believes what God says.

Even so, faith is not a clear understanding or even a clear knowledge of every revelation. In His kindness, He reveals Himself and only obliges me to believe Him, not fully understand Him.

In the family of God, faith comes in varying degrees, yet it is a simple matter that can happen in the hearts of children, the ignorant, or those older and wiser and well-educated. It is within the ability of all. Not only that, God does not require that we reason Him out, nor that everyone should be a philosopher, a theologian, or an orator, only a believer.  

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3–4)
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3)

As someone recently said, “It is so simple. It has all been done for us. All we need to do is believe it.” He is right; this is simple. Why do many not believe it? Perhaps they have never heard it? Or more likely, the statement is for sinners only, and without admitting the need to be forgiven and cleansed, God will not impose or force His great gift of faith on anyone who refuses to believe that they need Him.

PRAY: Jesus, You said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32) Abiding simply means to stay there, not drift off into what You don’t say, or stay stuck with my own ideas of self-importance, and think that I don’t need You. I realize the most common reason that people do not have faith is because they see themselves as ‘good enough’ and their sin is not so bad. An honest look in the mirror and I know that I do need You. Thank You for the gift of the Gospel and for not giving me what I deserve. 

Feelings are not reliable…

On my first solo visit to Vancouver, I took a train from the airport to downtown. It was an underground arrival and when I reached street level, I met a woman who was going to the same place I wanted to go so we walked together. After about three blocks, we realized we were going west when we needed to go east.

This is usual for me. My sense of direction often depends on the compass in the dash of my car, even when the sun is shining or I should have some idea what is north and south. I may strongly feel I’m going the right direction and if corrected, even feel as if the right direction is the wrong direction.

Spiritual blindness can be like this — a strong sense of right that is based on feeling rather than fact. Today’s devotional puts it in plain language: “The foundation for the assurance of faith is not what we feel but what the record is, not what our experiences are but what has been written.” My sins have been forgiven because God says so, and relying on what He says is vital. I can misstep badly and feel guilty. The only way to deal with that feeling is remembering and even repeating what God says and not let my feelings negate the truth of His Word.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

I can feel all alone, without anyone who cares for me. Yet the Lord said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5)

I can feel unloved and worthless, yet Jesus said,

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:35–37)
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

I can look at myself and think I will never be like Jesus, but the Word of God says:

I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)

No matter the depth of such negative feelings, God has an answer that counters them and pushes them where they belong. As it is said, if truth and lies are pitted in battle, truth always wins. Jesus did say, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32)

How important is Bible reading and Bible study? It sets God’s children free from false guilt, doubt, false teaching, and negative feelings based on lies. That is good reason to read and know what God says!

PRAY: Jesus, You are the living Word and Your words are written to give me eternal life and the assurance of Your love and blessing in this life. Yesterday was only one example. I woke with great fatigue and trusted Your promise to renew my strength as I wait on You. And You did. Your truth wins over, even when the strongest wrong ideas and feelings are trying to throw me down. I’m so thankful!

Truth transforms my life

My sister became a Christian in a far-away country where Christianity was and still is illegal. She came home to discover that I also had become a Christian. She told me to have daily devotions using the method taught to her by a missionary (who was also not legally allowed in that country).

Her instruction was simple: Read John five times and Romans twice, then the NT and the OT. Read until God speaks to me then write the date, Bible reference, and what I understood from the reading. This served well for many years.

After a time, I realized that every line in the Bible was truth from God, even the parts that describe human sin. It was written in the Bible because God wanted it to be there and wanted me to know it. While many people pick and choose the parts they want to believe, or only believe the parts they understand, I can see this book is not a manual for theologians or even casual reading. It is truth revealed that I might know God.

Understanding this may have come easy for some, but my mind is wired to solve puzzles, enjoy mysteries, seek answers, and find reasons for everything. I’m a ‘hard sell’ in that if someone tries to convince me that I should have a product or do something, I will resist it. I want to discover for myself whether the sales claims are true and the more I am pushed, the more I resist. I’m the opposite of gullible, but at the same time, once convinced, stick solidly to what I believe.

Sadly, if convinced a lie is true, that causes me great conflict and pain — showing me the reality of why I need Jesus and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Without God’s saving power, who knows where I would be and without the Book of books, who knows what I would believe.

This is the power of God’s Word. Because it is not a book of theories but of actual facts, it feeds my mind with the right stuff. As today’s devotional says, things are not true because they are in the Bible; they are only in the Bible because they are true. When it tells me that God loves me, this is a fact. Otherwise, it would not be in the Bible. Solomon wrote:

Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. (Proverbs 30:5)

Jesus and the NT point out that knowing the truth must be followed up by obedience to it. If told the truth that eating junk food would affect my health and I simply kept eating it, could I expect otherwise? It is the same with truth from God:

But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” (Luke 8:21)

But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28)

The Word of God changes lives — as long as it is believed and obeyed:

You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God. (1 Peter 1:23)

And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32)

PRAY: Jesus, it is one thing to read listening for a special word from You, and delightful that for the past fifty plus years You speak to me every day. I’m amazed at You. This truth is in place only because ALL of the Bible is You speaking. I cannot control or even be certain I will hear those special words — only be glad in Your faithfulness, but I can believe whatever has been written and know that as I read it and do what it says, You transform my life.

Salvation sets me free — from what?

 

Some define salvation as a ticket to heaven, nothing more. However, Jesus said the truth will set us free — free from what? Romans 8:1 says from condemnation, but the rest of Scripture is clear; salvation is freedom from the power of sin. Instead of sin, which is basically doing life my own way and ignoring God’s way, salvation frees me from it so that I can do life God’s way. This is freedom — being free to live as God created me to live, under the power of the Holy Spirit instead of under the power of sin.

Some will claim that salvation can be earned by doing good works. That is, doing life my way by selecting good things to do, and thinking God will accept me and give me a home in heaven. The problem with that teaching is an inaccurate understanding of sin. Sin is ‘my way’ no matter if that means selfish living, a life of crime and rebellion, or doing good things. The Scriptures say we are saved by faith, not by works.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9)

The confusion comes with the Scriptures also saying, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14) and “a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.” (James 2:24).

That seems to conflict with Paul’s teaching on salvation by grace through faith. Does that mean we have faith in God to save us if we add good works too? Even though some ‘Christian’ denominations teach that, it is just another false teaching. It makes salvation depend on good works, on what I choose to do. I’m not set free by the tyranny of sin (doing my own thing, running my own life) but still in bondage to it if I add works or virtuous deeds as a means of salvation.

Reading ALL of Scripture is important. James says I am “justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24) and Paul describes salvation as a new life, as a huge transformation of in who I am. He says: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Another passage says that Jesus “saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5) making us new people who do not run our own lives but are spiritually reborn and living according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. This is a gift from God, a freedom of His grace . . .

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age. (Titus 2:11–12)

This is why Jesus could say: “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32) The freedom He promises is freedom to do good motivated by God’s Spirit rather than motivated by a human desire to earn God’s favor.

The faith described in the NT is not the same as mere assent to something. It is a faith that changes lives. Think of it: “Even the demons believe” that Jesus exists and died for sin, but they are not transformed. Saving faith is a life-changing gift, a gift that sets Christians free to choose obedience rather than yield to selfish, sinful thoughts and actions.

PRAY: Thinking each day of what the Gospel means and what it does describes true freedom. Sometimes I revert to my old way of thinking (“I can do this myself”) but it produces nothing and the outcome is not freedom but slavery. God, You continually forgive my foolishness, but You also direct me in the way of freedom. I do not have to sin. I can serve You and be a loving blessing to others. The gift of eternal life is a wonder, yet it is for this life also. The goals and desires of my heart are not the same as they once were, and I don’t think, talk or act as I once did. Your salvation has set me free! I’m no longer a slave to sin because You made me Your child!

PONDER: John 8:31–32 describes true faith. How does the Word of God affect those who genuinely believe what it says? How does that freedom affect my daily life?