What Is Salvation?

It should seem simple enough to say salvation means to be saved. But sometimes it doesn't seem all that simple. In our day it seems that the most basic Biblical terms and concepts are considered archaic and unacceptable. It is out of fashion to talk about being lost, even in many so-called Christian circles. To speak of such vital Biblical concepts as being saved, converted or born again, is considered inappropriate and even offensive by many in our day of apostasy. One of the most well known television preachers of our era, virtually refuses to use the word sin and prefers to refer to man's sinful condition as a loss of self esteem. Instead of being saved, a man is said to need to discover his self-worth.  Such people speak of old-fashioned Christian jargon as negative and counter productive and advocate a complete revamp of the Christian vocabulary.

Those who believe that the Word of God is inspired and absolute authoritative on matters of the soul and spirit, view the situation from God's perspective and give no credence to such contemporary man made nonsense. Statements of Jesus, such as, "The Son of man has come to seek and save those who are lost," or, "Ye must be born again," carry much more weight than the sayings of those who are obviously pandering to the popular press and people with itching ears.

So what does the Bible say about our great salvation? Salvation is a real experience: an actual happening, occurrence and encounter, a sudden, specific, spontaneous, and often traumatic event that occurs in time and space. The simplicity and clarity of the word pictures used by Jesus is intentional. To illustrate the nature of salvation, He spoke of concrete items such as a lost sheep, coin or prodigal, being found, saved, and fully restored to a safe environment and relationship.

The same people who question the validity of such terms and concepts as spiritual salvation, seem to have no difficulty in comprehending what it means for a drowning man, carried out beyond his depth by a surging rip tide, to be saved and snatched from the jaws of death by a heroic life saver. When a frantic woman is plucked at the last moment from a burning roof by a brave fireman, no one seems question that her life was saved. When, against all odds, a little boy lost in the bush, is finally rescued by a brave and exhausted band of volunteers, everyone assumes his salvation is real.

The experience and encounter of salvation are inward but the expression is outward. The expression of our salvation is to be worked out with fear and trembling. Baptism is ordained as the first outward expression of an inward possession. When Paul says that after we are saved by grace through faith that God has ordained that we should walk in good works, I am sure he is referring to all the good and productive things a child of God should focus his life upon after salvation. These things express salvation to a sceptical and unbelieving world.

Simple Salvation

Man often complicates the simplest matters. He manages to muddle the mundane into a myriad of galactic proportions. In human affairs man is hopelessly complicated. A simple political assassination will precipitate a World War. A border dispute becomes the occasion for super power confrontation. One high flying plane torpedoes hopes for detente'. Religious fratricide erupts into a conflict that confounds all efforts for peace. A handful of sheiks hold the whole world for economic ransom. A sad little burglary shames and shatters the confidence of a mighty nation.

Around the world the man in the street often feels that if he could for a moment face his counterpart across a table they could cut through all the red tape and penetrate the smoke screen of officialdom and work it all out. It seems just that simple.

But man as an individual seems to possess the same penchant to perpetually muddle his own affairs. The ever increasing incidence of murder, mayhem, suicide, divorce, delinquency, political deceit and perversity, and other variants in the catalogue of sin, amply confirm man's ineptness to manage his own affairs.,

It's the same old problem. Man is a do it yourself creature. Philosophically this is best illustrated by his failure to come to grips with is most pressing problem. That problem is sin. He will not accept outside help. God has provided the solution, but man insists on doing his own thing. He will submit to any form or ritual, modern or pianistic, in order to save himself. He will burn himself on a street corner, throw a baby to the crocodiles, be christened, learn a catechism, join a church, burn some candles, be baptised, go into a trance, or invent one thousand and one different ways to bring himself to God. Just as long as he can do it himself. This is so sad because this is the only way he cannot be saved. He cannot because as he tries to save himself, he will not allow God to save him. He complicates the simple way of salvation found in God's Word.

The whole story of man's problem and God's solution is so simply told in the Bible that even a child can understand. (Matthew 18:3) We prove we are sinners each day of our life, over and over again. It is only logical that a sinner cannot eradicate his own sin. After all, can a leopard change his spots? God's solution to our problem is simply that His sinless Son died for our sins. (John 3:16) Based upon this simple fact, all we have to do is repent of our sins and in simple faith believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ. We just ask God to save us and take our sins away. When we do this, God provides the gift of' everlasting life. (Romans 6:23, 10:13)

JESUS SAYS SALVATION IS AS SIMPLE as opening a door. (Rev. 3:20) When someone is at the door we don't spend hours speculating about the caller's identity. We just open the door quietly and confidently and without fanfare. With a minimum of fuss. That's faith. Salvation is that simple.

JESUS SAYS SALVATION IS AS SIMPLE as a. thirsty man drinking water. (Rev. 22:17) When a man is dying of thirst he doesn't pause to investigate the molecular composition of H20. He's not interested in the details. He doesn't ask questions. He just drinks freely and without reservation. That's faith. Salvation is that simple.

JESUS SAYS SALVATION IS AS SIMPLE as receiving a gift. (Romans 6:23) A gift is offered and we reach out and take it. With no questions asked or strings attached. That is faith. Salvation is just that simple and easy. Why not open the door of your own heart by faith and receive the one gift above all others, eternal life. Those who do find their spiritual thirst eternally quenched.. IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE.

We Can Trust The Timing Of God's Providence

There are many examples of the providence of God’s time in the Bible. Just imagine for a moment you are an impartial observer watching a ram wandering aimlessly in a wilderness. As you look on, the careless ram catches his horns in a thick bush. Naturally the frustrated ram struggles desperately to free himself, but to no avail. What possible eternal significance could such an ordinary and mundane happening have?

But then you hear a noise and turn to see a terrifying scene. A young lad lying trussed up atop a pile of wood upon a crude stone altar. He lies quietly and calmly awaiting his fate. Standing over him is the towering figure of his father with his sacrificial knife poised to make the fatal thrust! Just as you are about to cry out in horror, you hear an angelic voice calling out to the man; bringing his attention to the struggling ram. You know the rest of the story. The exquisite providential timing of God provides the sacrifice at just the moment it was needed. Not a moment too soon nor a second too late.

Just imagine for a moment a lowly and insignificant donkey wandering around in a wild and arid land. All at once a lion lurking behind a bush leaps; giving out a mighty roar he pounces upon his helpless and hapless victim. Later, the vultures come and pick the bones clean. Days and months pass. The bones are washed clean by rains and bleached and hardened by the hot sun. Then one day a mighty man of God finds himself surrounded and hopelessly outnumbered by an army of a fierce warrior race. In that moment of looming death and disaster, he desperately glances around for some weapon to fend off his enemies. The tough and weathered bones of the donkey immediately catch his eye. He runs toward his enemy; sweeping up the jawbone of the donkey. The Spirit of the Lord is upon him as he slays one thousand of God’s enemies. Again, the delicate providential timing of God provides the right weapon, in the right place at the right time!

Then there’s cache of small stones laid down by the creative hand of God and worn smooth by the flowing waters of a beautiful brook. In the heat of a mighty contest, a young shepherd lad thrusts his hand into the cool water and his strong fingers close around five smooth stones. Just the crude ammunition he needs to slay a ferocious giant who has been defying God and his people. Someone has said he had four stones left over for the giant’s brothers as well!

We could speak further of another small donkey standing ready to bear real royalty into a city one joyous and triumphant day. We could also recall the momentous day a Roman soldier went out and felled a tree that would become a rugged, cruel cross.

Are any of these accidents? Or are they reassuring examples of the tremendous providence of God given to us in the Word of God to reassure us that we can trust the timing of God?

In my childhood, baking day was always a day we looked forward to; especially the Christmas baking days. In a large rural family, it would not be unusual to have at least a dozen different cakes and pies prepared and ready for the holiday season. My mouth still waters at the thought. Hanging out in the kitchen as much as I could, I soon became aware of the various ingredients going into the different sorts of cakes and pies. A few of these were sweet and pleasing to the taste, but a number of the ingredients, when tasted alone, were too salty, sour, dry, tart, bitter or tasteless to please the palate.

But a minor miracle inevitably occurred. My Mom would mix all these single unsavoury ingredients, stir them together for just the right amount of time, place them in a greased pan, heat them at the right temperature for the right amount of time. And presto! A beautiful and tasty cake would emerge.

Many of the ingredients of the Christian life, when experienced alone, sometimes seem too salty, sour, bitter or tasteless. But let the Master baker mix these together in the right combination over a period or time and bake them in the oven of His everlasting love. He promises that a beautiful conclusion will inevitably come to pass. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.” (Ro. 8:28)