Salvation

7-21-2009

From time to time I will post a previous devotional that may involve a requested topic. I've received a couple of emails asking for more depth about salvation and what a personal relationship with Christ means, so I am publishing a previous devotional about the topic of salvation. If there’s anyone who hasn’t accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, and would like to know more, please feel free to email me at lstout@loganstout.com and I will be happy to give you a call. Here’s a devotional written March, 30th, 2009.

My wife, Haley, and I visited another church on Sunday morning as it had come highly recommended by a couple of our friends, and we were happy we visited. The pastor at the church did an amazing job of simplifying salvation, and I will summarize in today’s devotional, as I truly believe the majority of “Christians” don’t truly understand what it means to be “saved.”
In Ephesians 2:8-10 it says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God –not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” There are a few key words that need to be addressed: grace, saved, faith, mercy, and workmanship.

Grace is the underserved love and attention of God. We are born sinners into this world, and it is through grace that we are saved. In other words, grace can be described as getting something we don’t deserve. To be saved is to be delivered from death. Faith is the bridge between believing in something and wholeheartedly trusting in something. True faith is belief plus trust. Mercy is not getting what you deserve to get. Workmanship is another way of saying masterpiece.

So, let’s put Ephesians 2:8-10 another way. It is by the complete undeserving love and attention of God that we have been delivered from death because you understood that you could believe in and wholeheartedly trust God as you yourself are nothing without Him who made you, His masterpiece to do the good works of Christ!

As a Christian, you understand that Christ walked the very earth we walk today as a sinless man. He then took the sin of the world on His shoulders and died a brutal death on the cross so that we could have life and have it abundantly. We don’t deserve grace and we cannot earn grace, it is a gift from God. It is through God’s grace that we can be saved by putting our faith and trust in Him, our maker. Our job on earth is to live a sanctified (Christ like) life where people will see God’s grace through us, and they won’t ask us who is that guy, but instead will ask, who made that guy? It is through our actions that we show the love of Christ, not win the love of Christ. Salvation in Christ cannot be earned it is a gift. God doesn’t keep tally marks for good and bad behavior. To enter the gates of Heaven, you don’t earn a “C” grade or better. You can be the nicest person in the world, but you cannot earn your way into God’s kingdom. There’s one way to heaven, accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior.

We are all sinners and we continue to make mistakes, and it is by the love and Grace of Jesus Christ that we may ask for forgiveness and be forgiven. We are all equal in the eyes of the Lord, and no matter what your past looks like, Christ will forgive you if you simply put your faith in Him and ask Him into your heart.

Application:
1. Read Ephesians chapter 2
2. Have you accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? We are here to help.
3. Who do you know that may need to hear the message? Take action as that is the most important gift you can give someone!