Genuine Gospel salvation
is really a new birth. Jesus said
that in John 3:3. Salvation is not
acknowledgement of a fact nor
is it simply intellectual assent.
It is not a commitment to try
harder to do better and it is not
simple belief. Genuine Gospel
salvation is the total surrender of
our entire being to the lordship
of Jesus. He becomes lord over
our minds, wills, and emotions.
That salvation moment is just the
beginning. In John 8:31, Jesus said
“If you continue in My word, you truly are my disciples. That
is the tell-tale truth of genuine Gospel salvation. Profession
of faith is easy, but Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:14 that “the
gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and
only a few ever find it.” True saving faith is a belief that
results in long-term obedience, even in times of pain and
difficulty. John uses the Greek word “pisteou” for faith. The
noun form is “pistis,” which can be translated “to rely on.”
The verb and noun forms encompass all the elements of true
salvation. Conviction, repentance, and submission are all
necessary for spiritual salvation. That salvation is given as a
gift by the Lord Jesus. See Romans 6:23. It cannot be earned.
Not good works, nor baptism, nor church membership, nor
ancestry. Only the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross
can provide salvation.
Here is another surprising element of salvation that most
people do not know. Jesus said in John 6:44 and 6:61-65,
“For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me
draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.”
When the Father draws and a person genuinely believes the
Gospel, it will translate into a life of obedience and growth
towards being Christlike. Jesus also said, in John 8:32, that if
we continue in His word, we will know the truth and the truth
will set us free.
Are you truly born again or are you a professor who life
and attitude betray your profession? Today I am asking you
to rely on the truth that the Lord Jesus was sent by the Father
to live a life of perfect obedience, suffer unjustly an atoning
death as the one for all time Sacrifice for your sins, and was
raised from the dead on the third day to secure a place in
Heaven for you. When you submit to the Lordship of Jesus
in your life, your eternal future is secure, and the shackles of
sin can be broken as you begin to grow in faith and live a life
of obedience to God’s word! Want to talk about it? find me on
Facebook.
