I have heard it said, so many times, that “salvation is free”.
I started to contemplate this phrase and wondered about its accuracy.
While it is true that salvation is freely given, it is not
true to say “You don’t have to do anything to receive salvation.” I have heard
many preachers tell congregants “Salvation is a free. It is a gift. You don’t
have to do anything to receive it. You just have to believe that Jesus died for
your sins.” I've learned that for every misconception, there is usually a hint
of truth. While it is true that there is nothing a person can do to earn their salvation, salvation is far
from an open vending machine. Belief alone is not adequate, for Satan, himself,
believes that Christ is the son of God and died on the cross for the salvation
of mankind.
Suppose you are sitting on the couch when I enter the room
and tell you that I have a gift for you. I tell you that you did nothing to
earn the gift and I explain that you don’t have to do anything to receive this
gift. Convinced, you just sit there and wait for me to give you the gift. We
both wait for something to happen. Finally, you realize that you actually have
to do something. You decide to ask
for the gift. “Can I have the gift?” you ask. “Yes” I tell you, “I want you to
have it.” Again we wait. You realize that you must do something else, so you stretch your hands out, to me, in the
universal sign that you are willing and ready to receive something. I could
continue, but I think the point is made.
Scripture tells of specific things that have to be
accomplished in order to receive this free gift. Yes! The Bible does say that
that salvation is not by works. This refers to deeds done
or work accomplished, as one would work a job to receive a paycheck or do deeds
that prove one’s worthiness. Mankind’s deeds are compared to used menstrual
products. Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us
away. That
said…there are very specific steps that we are to accomplish in order to be the
recipients of this wonderful gift of salvation. Several scriptures could be
referenced to show this list. What follows are only a couple of them. 2 Chronicles
7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their
wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will
heal their land. So let’s investigate this first verse
(note: always understand that a verse that is pulled out can be viewed out of
context. Be sure to understand that surrounding scripture can, and often will,
enhance understanding of a specific single scripture.)
The
first statement of this scripture states a conditional IF. We understand that where there is an “if” there is also, whether stated or not, a “then.” Here it is stated. “If my people…” those people to whom the
gift is offered, making it obvious that the gift might not be offered to all
people, at all times. Although scripture states that everyone has at least one opportunity to follow Christ, we understand by reading other scripture (John 6:44, Romans 1:28), that
there are times when salvation is not offered and can’t be received.
2. “will humble themselves”…We, the gift-receivers,
must realize our smallness compared to God, the gift-giver. We must relinquish
any claim to any rights, as we gain understanding that we deserve nothing. In
this day and time when we hear people arguing about their rights and claiming
their entitlements, we are shown that salvation requires just the opposite, as
we cry out “I am nothing, I have nothing to offer, I deserve nothing, yet I cry
out, Heavenly Father, that you have mercy on me and grant me the opportunity to
receive even the smallest of crumbs from your table.” He, in turn, offers us an
adoption into his family, as his children.
3. “pray,
and seek my face”…We
must begin a relationship; a conversation. We cannot walk into the presence of
God, ask for a gift, and then announce “Thanks for the gift. See you later.”
That’s not how it works at all. To “seek the face” of God is not to say a
simple prayer. An excerpt from a January 31, 2014 article, by Marcio Sierra Jr,
of Lighthouse Church, titled “What does
it mean to seek the face of God?”, stated it this way: “…When
we look at a person’s face, we are looking at a lot more than just a face.
Just by looking at a person’s face you can tell if the person is angry,
happy, sad, tired, worried, hurt, excited, in love, sick, and the list
continues. The face of a person reveals a lot about that person.
The face of a person is like an open window that allows us to see inside of
that person; their thoughts, their pain, their joy, their heart. This is
what God showed me; to seek His face is to enter into God’s heart. When
God asks us to seek His face, He is making a call for us to enter into His
thoughts and see what He is thinking, to see what He is doing, how he feels
about something, to see the love that he has for us, to look at the pain that
our sin causes him, etc.”
4. “…and
turn from their wicked ways…” Repentance isn't confession. It isn't when you stop committing a sin. Repentance comes from the word that
means to turn 180 degrees, in the opposite direction, and head that way. In
other words, if I am going east and I repent, then I will turn and head west.
Spiritually, If I am committing a sin and I repent, then I will not only stop
committing that sin, but I will do the opposite. If, for example, I am abusing
my wife and children, then I will not only cease the abuse but will begin to
shower them with loving attention. We
cannot continue to live the same way we did prior to salvation, if we have
accepted the gift. Time after time, scripture states (John 13:35, John 8:31, Matt 7:21-23, 1 John 4:20) that to claim to
be a follower without actually following
makes us a liar. Is it that hard to grasp this concept? If my wife and I go for
a hike, in the woods, and I tell her “Follow me. I've been through here many
times and I know the way. I’ll keep you safe.” And she states “I am going to
follow you which will protect me from harm and keep me from getting lost.” (she doesn't actually talk like that, BTW.) Then we have established the hiking relationship and the bare-bones agreement that we share. Periodically, I will
glance back and ask “You still back there? How’s it going?” If she’s not behind
me, I can call out “Where are you? I thought that you said you were going to
follow me?” “I am following you. Just not at your pace or on your path. I found
an easier path.” “We agreed that for your own good, you would follow closely behind me. Catch up.
I am here for you.” Later, she meets some other hikers. They ask her if she is
hiking alone, for they see no evidence that she is with anyone else. She
assures them that she has chosen to follow me, and is in fact doing so at the very
moment. “If you are really following him, then where are you headed?” they ask.
“To such-and-such place” she tells them. “Well,” they admit, “We met your
guide earlier and he was headed in a totally different direction. You two are
not going the same way. Had you truly been “following” (air quotes given) him,
you would end up at the same destination, together. As I wrote this, my mind
was confused as to how this is so hard for people to understand. My realization
was that they choose to not accept it. When we want to live on our own chosen
path and figure we have the right to make our own choices, then we justify our
actions. Or maybe we assume that others have told us correct information so we fail to study or research or verify the information. Wouldn't it be simpler for us to read scripture and see that it says
that if we are his followers, then it will be obvious? Let me pause to insert
this…there is a false theology that has pervaded Christianity to such an extent
that those who try to deliver the message of scriptural salvation are often
condemned and persecuted for their exegesis. The false theological principle to
which I refer is that which states “Christ died for my past, present, and
future sins, and whatever I do, it is forgiven.” In a sense…yes. In a sense…no.
We are called to sanctification and holiness; cleansing and setting apart. We are
not to settle for the idea that because we are flawed creatures we have to
settle. We are mandated to strive for God, to seek his face, to cleanse
ourselves while asking him to show us our flaws.
5. “…then
will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”Then
means after the requirements are fulfilled, as in “If you clean up your room,
then you can go outside and play with your friends.” Do you think a perfect,
fair father would say “I told you to clean up your room and I would let you go
play, but you didn’t do what I instructed you to do, so go out and play with
your friends anyway”? We would all say that this guy has no clue about or
business being responsible for a child. Why would God tell us about all the
things we should do if he is only going to give into our sin nature anyway?
Forgiveness. I find very few people, inside or
outside of the church, who understand the concept of forgiveness. Forgiveness
is not merely stating that you forgive someone. It is an agreement to never,
ever bring up the offense again. Biblestudytools.com
online Bible dictionary had this to say about forgiveness: “John the Baptist offered eschatological forgiveness to
the nation on the condition of repentance (Mark 1:4 ; Luke 3:3 ). His offer exemplified the
tension between God as merciful and God as righteous, as shown by the fact John
rejected some who had not first produced the fruit of repentance before seeking
the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin.” and “Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God, and offered
his hearers the possibility of entrance into this kingdom on the condition of
repentance. He was the mediator of eschatological salvation, which included the
extension of forgiveness ( Matt 9:3-6 ; Mark 2:7-12 ; Luke 5:21-25 ; 7:36-50 ). Like John the Baptist, Jesus
required that the offer of eschatological salvation be appropriated by
individuals; the process of entering the kingdom was that of becoming a child,
by passively receiving God's eschatological forgiveness. It is for this reason
that Jesus said to his opponents that "the tax collectors and the
prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you" ( Matt 21:31b ).” Forgiveness is conditional. Even when his disciples
ask him to teach them to pray, Jesus
prays “forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.” The word “as” here does not mean “while”, but
rather “like, or in the same manner.” In other words, please forgive our sins
in the same way we forgive those who do us wrong. Again, if we don’t forgive
others then he is not obligated to forgive us, and if we are not forgiven then
we are not his followers, disciples, or Talmid.
To be continued…
Present yourselves as a living sacrifice…
Denying ourselves…
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