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To Be Saved
by Bryan Madonna Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. ~ Acts 16:30-31 Need for Salvation "To be Saved" from a Scriptural perspective is a Spiritual Salvation, but it can be more clearly understood when one thinks of it in physical terms. Physical salvation can be seen as the act of being rescued from peril, such as harm or death. Likewise, Spiritual Salvation is the Grace of God Rescuing mankind from Eternal Damnation. The reason one might need rescuing from drowning, for example, may be because he allowed himself to get into water that was too deep. The reason mankind requires Spiritual Salvation is because we have corrupted our souls through willful acts of ungodlinessknown as Sin. The Penalty of Sin is Eternal Damnation, which is also called "the second death" (Rev. 20:14). For the wages of sin is death. (Rom. 6:23) The amount or degree of sinfulness in one's life, based upon mortal measurements, is actually irrelevant. (A man may drown in as little as two inches of water.) The mere existence of Sin in one's life makes him Guilty before a Holy God, Who is unwilling to tolerate any sin whatsoever in His Presence. Neither are acts of righteousness able to erase one's guilt. Just as a man, who has performed a life-time of good deeds, is still a murderer if he has committed only one murder, a man is a guilty sinner regardless either of the number of sins or of the number of good deeds in which he has engaged himself. Every one has sinned, therefore every one needs "to be saved." As it is written, THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONEFor all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:10, 23) For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. (Jam. 2:10) Means to Salvation From the beginning of Time, God has shown how one may be forgiven for his sins and be set free from the Penalty of Sin. The innocent must die for the guilty. This Plan was initiated with Adam and Eve, when God killed an innocent lamb and covered two sinners with its hide (Gen. 3:21). Years later, when their sons made offerings to God, Abel's slain lamb was accepted, while Cain's harvested fruits and vegetables were rejected (Gen. 4:3-5). And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (Heb. 9:22) In the establishment of the Nation of Israel, God declared in His Law that the Israelites were to sacrifice animals as payment for their sins. These animals were, of course, morally guiltless, but they were also to be physically perfect, i.e. without illness, injury or deformity. Through prophets, God revealed that His Ultimate Plan was to provide Himself as the Final Sacrifice, to come in human form as the Messiah. Jesus Christ is the Fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets and of God's Plan from the beginning of Time. Because Jesus, the Only Begotten Son of God, willingly became that Guiltless, Perfect Sacrifice for the sins of mankind, guilty sinners who place all their faith in Him alone are freely Redeemed, become the adopted children of God, and are given New Life. Jesus did not become just one more sacrifice; He became The Final Sacrifice to which all previous sacrifices were pointing. He did not provide either a payment for an individual sin or merely another payment for past sins; Jesus became The Complete Payment for all Sin, both past and future for all who will freely and sincerely call upon Him in this life. No other payment is necessary, and no other payment will be accepted. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) Signs of Salvation Jesus instructed His obedient followers that they are publicly to demonstrate their unity in Him. Two sacred acts have been given as the means for the Saved to identify themselves with their Savior. The first is meant for individuals to publicly acknowledge the spiritual change experienced through Salvation. The second is meant for congregations to demonstrate spiritual solidarity as they remember the Loving Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Believer's Baptism Publicly identifying with Jesus Christ as one's personal Savior is initiated by full immersion into water "in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matt. 28:19). The going down into the water represents the death of the old sinful nature, which has been crucified and buried with Christ. The rising up out of the water represents New Life through Christ, identifying oneself with the Resurrection of Jesus from the Dead. This single event is performed neither as a means to nor as a payment for Salvation but as an outward sign to those present that one has been Saved by Grace alone, through Faith alone in Christ alone. Holy Communion As a sign of unity and gratitude, congregations of believers join together in a solemn celebration of the Free Gift of Salvation that they have through Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God. With regularity, Christ's Sacrifice is remembered corporately through the sacred use of unleavened bread, representing His torn flesh, and "the fruit of the vine" (Mark 14:25), representing His shed blood.The bread and cup do not hold the keys to eternal life or to forgiveness of sin but instead serve as physical reminders of the price that Jesus paid to purchase Spiritual Salvation from the Penalty of Sin. Christian Fellowship Baptism and Communion are indeed beautiful signs of solidarity, but perhaps the most important means, for identifying oneself with Christ and His Kingdom and for displaying one's gratitude for Salvation, is through charity. Described as sacrificial love, charity is identified as "the greatest" (1Cor. 13:13) way for one to demonstrate that he has been Saved. As He walked this earth and taught the crowds of people who came to Him, both prior to His death and after His Resurrection, the Savior Jesus Christ gave many instructions for how mankind might please the Heavenly Father. His first priority was, of course, seeking and Saving the lost and then Guiding them into understanding God's Will for His adopted children. Yet, among His many teachings, the "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Rev. 19:16) gave only one Commandmentthat His followers love one another. There may be no greater way to bring honor to the Father and to promote Christ's Kingdom than by demonstrating the Love of Jesus among those who are Saved. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. ~ 1 John 5:12-13 Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |