Salvation Now!

There is today a lot of nonsense today regarding the CONCEPT OF SALVATION. Understand this... you have to be saved NOW! Not later! Not when you finally get all your philosophical questions answered! Not when your behavior will reach your  imaginary standard of holiness! Not as some teach today as a post-mortem option! BUT NOW! The Good Lord gives each of us something less than 120 years to live on this earth. However, I wouldn't bet on 120 years! Therefore, "Now is the Day of Salvation!" as we are told by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:2.

So, before I begin and just in case you don't read the rest of this blog, understand John 3...

• You have to be BORN AGAIN! In other words, SAVED!
• You become SAVED by believing in the One God has sent... His Son Jesus Christ. (see Romans 10:9-10)
• There is NO OTHER WAY to be saved! It is the ONLY WAY to be reconciled to God. 

Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way the truth and the life, NO ONE comes to the Father, except through me!"

This is a rather hard verse to get around. Yet, I often hear people, even Christians say stupid stuff like this...

• "Well, there are many pathways to God... to each his/her own."
• "Everyone has an opinion!"
• "How can a Holy Loving God send someone to a lost eternity?"
• "Well, just how reliable can the Scriptures be?"
• "How could God let an arbitrary time of life on this earth be my ONLY decision time?"
• "I am not all that bad of a guy/gal!"

All of these misguided responses ignore the most important question. The question Jesus asked Peter and the disciples in Matthew 16:13-20, "Peter, who do YOU say I am?" You will remember Peter responded, "Thou art the Christ!" And, in making that statement Peter realized he was speaking to GOD IN THE FLESH! Jesus is pre-eternal! Jesus is God! Jesus is not some guru who came to model a way of life... Jesus came to SAVE your life because YOU ARE SINNER! Understanding we are SINNERS is understanding humility before a HOLY GOD! Our Creator!

Let me explain a principle I have discovered through years of experience in my varied vocational life...

• If you can't make a decision now... it is not any easier to make a decision later...
• If you can't manage the world around you now and your current responsibilities... then you will most likely not be able to handle any other assignment any better.

We are all like cows wanting 'grass' that is on the other side of the fence. I used to be a dairyman. I loved to watch cows in the pasture. The cows would have access to a whole field of grass, yet... they strain against the barb wire to poke their heads through the fence to eat the grass on the other side of the fence. After all, says the cow. "The grass must be greener!" "I am entitled to my opinion!" "That's how God created me!"

We are like that when it comes to God's grace. God provides a whole pasture of 'grace' on which to graze, yet we want to poke our philosophical heads through the barb wire... to see if "grace" potentially has a different definition. Perhaps, we ask ourselves, "Through our own intellect, behavior, etc... we don't need the SALVATION as GOD DEFINES IT IN JESUS CHRIST!"

If there is one message in the Bible that is consistent throughout... it is this, "God wants to be in relationship with you NOW!" I do not believe in Jesus Christ NOW... only for the purposes of THEN. I believe in Jesus Christ NOW... for the purposes of getting through the NOW with Jesus. If that happens NOW, the THEN will take care of itself by the grace of Jesus! I am thankful for the proverbial 'pie-in-the-sky,' but I am just as thankful for JESUS WALKING WITH ME... NOW!

Imagine if Carol and I were dating some 45 years ago. When I got around to asking her to marry me I said something like this, "Carol, I like the 'idea' of marrying you. After all, I like you! But, I am not sure you are the 'only' girl for me. After all, is that not just a little narrow-minded?" And to continue, "Carol, I have a lot of questions about you. I need all of them answered before I can make any serious commitment. And, perhaps there are other gals that can help me to find happiness!" If I had taken that approach it would be only LANCE (my dog) and I writing this blog at the moment! A RELATIONSHIP TAKES UNENDING COMMITMENT!

Dear friends... sometimes in a world where we OVERTHINK things... we lose sight of the simplicity of life! We allow 'experts' to tell us that 'red' is 'blue' and 'wrong' is 'right.' Truth becomes so confounded... that you run out of time. There is only ONE TRUTH and that TRUTH IS JESUS! John 1:3 says, "In Jesus and through Jesus ALL THINGS were made!" Go and love Jesus YOUR CREATOR remembering John 8:32...

"You shall KNOW the TRUTH, and the TRUTH

shall set you FREE!"

So, let me ask you this... "Who do you say Jesus Christ is?"

God Bless... see you tomorrow!