The Great Salvation Giveback
Imagine you were given an amazing gift, a real treasure, something of great value. Would you do anything that might cause you to lose that gift?
For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. - Hebrews 10:26-27
In today's reading from the letter to the Hebrews, we are told that the salvation we received in accepting Jesus as our savior could be lost if we return to sin.
Woah!
I thought once we were saved, our sins are forgiven and we don't have to worry about them anymore. What gives?
The messages of salvation can be a bit confusing at times, especially when we try to understand how we can continue to be affected by our own free will. The more I choose to do things that feed my ego above all else, the more I give back the benefits of grace.
In other words, I live on a sliding scale, with my self-centeredness calling the shots. As I move the slider closer to God, as I walk and talk and act according to the rule of loving my neighbor as myself, I find myself in the light, and that feels good.
But when I push the slider in the other direction, turning away from the light, feeding my own needs above all else, I find myself alone, standing in the shadows.
The power to accept salvation and live in it is up to me. That's a lot different from thinking God will take it back if I am bad, which puts the control in His hands rather than mine.
If I am responsible for my own actions, thoughts and choices, I am in control of my own salvation. I decide if I truly live or not.
The good news, and it is all about Good News, is that we I can choose to come back to the light, pushing that slider back to where it belongs.
Yes, it sounds strange. It sounds like I can sin again and again and continue to ask forgiveness and be accepted. The truth is I am never rejected. I am the one who does the rejecting.
So, whether I choose good or evil (to keep it simple), God loves me. He wants me to come back, to save myself from the cold darkness of lonely despair and an eternity of emptiness.
Who wouldn't want to be loved rather than alone?
So, that's how I understand this gift of salvation and each time I do something I think puts me on the wrong end of that slider, I push it back. Sounds easy doesn't i?
It also makes it easy to talk about Jesus in our lives, if you think about it. What we can say is God has given us control of our own salvation in the gift of his son and through the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide us. So we have the power and the strength. All we need to do is push ourselves into the light.
If you want to be able to take control of your salvation, come and join us. We can push together.
More to come...