Two minute read.
My wife Lynda helped me work through this matter on Salvation as we looked at what is to come. As we move into what is necessary, use your own mind and heart as we work together here. And, working together, allows us to look deeper as we work into a life of Salvation!
In this second piece we begin with this statement: Is belief in God one epic decision or a series of choices in the same direction?
The Church has historically emphasized a singular spiritual decision, that has been helpful in keeping a scorecard to determine who “is in” and who “is out.”
” But small is the gate and narrow the road the leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:14
Jesus describes Salvation as a Metaphorical road that we may travel down. You may have experienced pressure to make a decision to believe. But let me be very careful at this juncture, I do believe that you and I do have a Choice to make.
“Then he said to them all; If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23
The validity and value of that Choice is not found in a single decision. Bottomline here is that Salvation is not as Simple as we’ve been led to believe.
Salvation is not left to a single intense decision but a gradual and incremental process. Think of it as working out your Salvation daily as you and I grow more mature. It can involve:
Denying what I want
Living with the tension of my Life
Following Jesus Christ
“The time has come, he said, the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.” Mark 1:15
The word Repent has gotten some bad press in our culture, But the word means: Reimagine your life in view of new alternatives. It is a question of Freedom; Freedom From and Freedom To.
I think Jesus used that word “repent” for it’s obvious shock value! He wanted to call into question our previous ways, to awaken us to new possibilities. Is that too far for us to grab?
He challenged us to use both mind and heart. How am I out of sync with the true rhythms of Life? How can I live into the life I was designed for?
In our final piece of this puzzle we will look at the 3rd item for us to work with.
Is Salvation primarily a matter of intellectual assent?
God’s Peace – MC
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