Romans 10:11: “For scripture saith, WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH ON HIM SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED (put to shame).”
Why do we make salvation so much harder than it has to be?
It is really inside of us or is it the forces of the world, is it the devil whispering lies in our ears, or could it be fear, fear of what will others think, fear of having our minds “taken over” and being “turned into a fanatic”, what exactly is the reason that some many do BELIEVE and yet have such a battle ACCEPTING what they already believe?
I myself. know a little something about that kind of thinking. It took me forever to accept Christ’s completely FREE and no strings attached offer of salvation.
After I came under conviction, I started trying to “clean up” my life, I had worked in sin, lived in sin, and every single thing about my life only referenced back to one word, sin. And I was very aware of that.
Anyone under conviction knows that they are in sin, they know that they are in mortal danger of a very eternal hell, so anyone who is under TRUE conviction does not need us to state the obvious.
I do think this is where most of our candy coating comes from, I don’t think that it is always maliciously intentional (although some of it truly is) Sometimes the Gospel gets so watered down but those watering seeds that have been planted a little too sparingly and what should have been bloomed to be increased of God, doesn’t even make it out of the ground.
And we do this because we don’t want to run people farther away and we want them to come to Jesus, so sometimes preachers can go a little too easy with the belief that if they hear it,it will eventually sink in.
But it doesn’t work that way because in order to be saved, a person must be under conviction by the Holy Spirit.
This is why Jesus said “that if he be lifted up, he would DRAW all men unto to him”, so if a person feels that conviction and God is drawing them and they are sent to us to teach them what they must do to be saved and we just pat them on the head and hope IT sinks in, we are then failing not only that person but we are also failing God.
Every single life God allows us to come into contact with is for the purpose of the kingdom and to help those who are lost find the path of God.
Romans 10;13-15: “FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.
HOW then shall they call upon him in whom they have not heard? and HOW shall they hear without a preacher?
And HOW shall they preach expect they be sent? as it is written, HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THEM THAT PREACH THE GOSPEL OF PEACE, AND BRING GLAD TIDINGS OF GOOD THINGS!”
See those are things that can not be separated.
God sends preachers to preach.
He sends preachers to those who are in the valleys of this world, that is why another passage refers to those same feet as being upon mountains and it is the Gospel of peace, God sending an invitation to that person of peace with him, peace in their hearts, souls, and minds and peace that no matter what tomorrow holds that they have assurance that their sins are covered, their pasts are dead and gone and they have a PROMISE of eternal reward in the kingdom of God FOREVER.
And those are the glad tidings of hope, joy, and fellowship with God himself. How good are those promises!?
So this is how it is supposed to happen, God sends that conviction draw and then he sends someone to you or you to them who will preach, which just means PROCLAIM to you all the wonderful plans that God has for YOU!
That is the beauty of it all, we were created BEFORE the foundations of this earth, GOD CREATED YOU and he created you with a purpose and plan FOR YOUR GOOD and all you got to do is accept it! How wonderful is that?
GOD INTENTIONALLY CREATED YOU!
But if you don’t hear the Gospel, if you don’t hear his plan and just how SIMPLE salvation truly is, then HOW could you possibly ever know that? HOW could you have peace, and joy, and HOPE if you never heard that there is one who fashioned you and breathed life in you that wants nothing but the best for you?
To get back to my opening thought, my personal take on this is sometimes WE get it in our heads that it just could not be that easy.
How can we just accept something that we did not earn or did not work for? How can we just be forgiven for all the wrong we have done? Nothing is that easy in this world, right?
Actually with God IT IS that easy!
Here’s a story of some guys who were feeling that conviction power that pull on their hearts and souls as Peter had PREACHED the Gospel to them, expounding on the word of God and explaining the mystery of just who was this Jesus that had been crucified.
Acts 2:36-42: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren what shall we do?
Then Peter said unto them,Repent, and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (forgiveness) of sins, and YE SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST.
For THE PROMISE is unto you and to your children, and to all that is afar off, even as many as the Lord Jesus shall call.
And with MANY other words did he testify and exhort (teach and encourage), saying, SAVE yourselves from the untoward (perverse) generation.
Then they GLADLY RECEIVED his word, and were baptized; and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
And they CONTINUED steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, an din the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
There is no special skills, dance, or ritual required. No minimum education level that you must have, nothing we can or have done to get “cleaned up”, no amount of “good deeds”, no amount of “self-sacrifice” or any other possible human action.
Just simply ACCEPTING his offer and continuing with fellow believers in fellowship and in prayer because we NEED that. We NEED each other and I love that it points out that they GLADLY received all the wonderful things God wanted them to have.
Which brings up a couple of more quick points, we are all different, God calls us to be different so don’t ever feel pressure that in order to be saved you have to live or think like someone else, no matter how honorable that person is.
It is good to have those we can look to for advice and good Godly help when we need it and it is certainly fine to use older brothers and sisters as a “guide” BUT only look to God for your salvation and for his plan for your life because he wants us different for a reason.
And we all feel and think differently but ALL that God requires of us to be saved, is repentance, which is simply asking God to forgive all our past wrong. Asking Jesus to come into our heart and be the Lord of our life and then ACCEPTING that wonderful freedom and resting in one thing, that HE LOVES YOU, and he wants fellowship with you, a REAL relationship and to reassure you that you are clean and the past is dead.
The next step is sharing YOUR good news with someone else.
Romans 10:9,10:“That if thou shalt confess (acknowledge) with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
And then LIVE, BE HAPPY AND ENJOY your new freedom! And get in a good church and just REST in your Saviour and if you stumble, GET BACK UP, no one is perfect, we will never be!
And keep his commandments, which are so simple and for our own good.
We find them in Exodus 20, but the breakdown goes like this:
#1 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
#2 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
#3 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
#4 Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.
#5 Honor thy father and thy mother.
#6 Thou shalt not kill.
#7 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
#8 Thou shall not steal.
#9 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
#10 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors goods.
And then Jesus told us that he also desires this, John 13:34,35:
“A new commandment I give unto, That ye love one another; as I have loved you. that ye also love one another. By this ALL men shall know that ye are my disciples, (followers) if ye have love one for another.”
He saves us SIMPLY because he created us and he loves us and wants us to safely swell with him in eternity. just like if you have a child or loved one that you want nothing more than to see them happy, healthy, and well and when things are not well, you will do everything in your power to change those things.
The same goes for God, only more so because humans are NOT capable of the level and perfection of love that God holds for us. SIMPLY ASK HIM!
Check out what Jesus said about it, Luke 11:9: “And I say unto YOU, ASK, and it SHALL BE GIVEN YOU; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.
For EVERY ONE that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? OR if he ask a fish, give him a serpent?
Or if he shall ask for an egg, will he offer him a serpent?
If ye then being evil, KNOW how to give good gifts unto YOUR CHILDREN; HOW MUCH MORE SHALL YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THEM THAT AK HIM?”
He means it! and when I got saved I was just overwhelmed with the thought of had I only KNOWN what I had been missing and how different I would feel in just a flash!
I wished someone had told me years ago, (of course they had tried to! 🙂 and I thank them now!) But when you realize all the wasted time and what all could have been different with the Lord it is just overwhelming.
And you never want to waste another moment without him.
The moment we accept Jesus ALL of our shame, guilt, hurt, and pain IS completely washed away!
I promise it is seriously that simple that fast and that profound!
Jesus told us that us being evil, in the world, and sin laden and yet we STILL can give good things when those who love us ask, how much more with the Creator of love and LOVE HIMSELF give you?
And just as Peter told them, it is for our families and all that we have contact with, and that love we can share because a greater LOVE lives inside of us.
As written in Psalm 95:7: “…to day IF you will hear his voice..”
Classic altar call going on here, very familiar verse but I KNOW He is sending his voice out to someone today, so if you WILL HEAR, with your heart, your soul, and your spiritual ears.
Revelation 3:20: ” Behold I stand at the door and knock: IF any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in unto him, and sup (dine) with him.”
Have a beautiful evening! Love & peace until next time!
And if you need a little more insight into just how awesome HE IS, check out these posts: Majesty
*Undeniable* On Earth as in Heaven
EL ROI….. The well in our wilderness
Sister Nina
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