Jesus died to secure our eternal salvation. It’s critical to not only know we HAVE it; but also know how to SHARE it. I have been challenged by God to put my testimony in a tract in order to be able to hand it out to others—a waitress, a client, the person next to me on a plane, or anyone I encounter who needs the Gospel. Salvation is most simply described in God’s Word as: 1. Believing in Jesus Christ (John 3:15-16); 2. Repenting of sins (Luke 13:3); and 3. Calling upon Jesus Christ for salvation (Romans 10:13). Salvation is a transaction of the heart, but it’s critical that we understand it is triggered when we hear the Gospel:
For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:13-17
God gives the hearers of the Gospel the gift of “faith” to understand and know the truth of its message:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
Hebrews 11:1,3
Dr. Pat Briney, in his excellent book, “500 Bible Questions Answered,” explains the difference between “faith” and “believe” as follows:
“Faith enables us to understand and provides us with spiritual evidence of truths that require spiritual discernment. This is a seeing faith, not a blind faith. Believing is our response to the understanding gained by a ‘seeing faith.’ Because the words are closely associated, they are often used interchangeably as synonyms. However, they are different.”
The Spirit of God uses the Gospel and the gift of faith, to convict us of the guilt of our sin and show us our need for Christ. He who believes the truth of the Gospel, the guilt of his own personal sin, and his desperate need for mercy and salvation in Jesus Christ, will repent (change his mind about what he believes) and turn his life over to Christ.
Repentance is also a gift from God:
“When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”
Acts 11:18
When we repent, and surrender our life to Christ, God forgives our sins and imputes to our spirit a new righteous nature.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
2 Corinthians 5:17, 21
My prayer is for every person to HAVE this great salvation and know how to SHARE it with others!
We would love to hear your thoughts about this devotional. Did God speak to you or challenge your daily walk with him? Or is there a topic that you would like Kimberly to cover or expound on? Please share with us in the comments below.
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4 Responses
As a new creation you now see and hear things that others don’t attribute to God. They hear them and see them but hear and see not. Amazing that these things are in our ear and can be seen by our eye but are not revealed until we are a new creation in Christ.
Why people always expect the big boom, being bathed in light or some other miraculous event?
But God gives us these events in better ways. More of them. Until as a new creation you know the smart voice, that solved your problem, in your head (that even sounded like your head voice) wasn’t you. Definitely the thought that was so enlightening, on a subject you weren’t thinking about, was God.
Then miracle after miracle enter your life. People call luck and coincidence but you KNOW it was God. Then people around you start experiencing miracles and recognize them as such. Even those who have been straddling the fence.
Amen!!