Salvation

source

COMPARISON
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 3:23 (NASB)

It’s a basic part of human nature to compare ourselves to others. We do it all the time, including when talking about whether we’re “good enough” for salvation. Many people feel they’re not good enough and don’t measure up – they haven’t done enough good deeds or have done too many bad ones (compared to other folks they see). Guess what? They’re right! They don’t measure up, but then, none of us do when measured against God’s perfection. That’s just a simple fact. Think of it this way – let’s say I can jump four feet. Well, compared to many of the residents at the nursing home who can’t even jump an inch, I’m a stud, a jumping machine. The pride of my prowess may be quite short lived though if I then compare myself to an Olympic long jumper. Now I find I’m a Class A ZERO. But what if the goal was to jump all the way across the Atlantic Ocean to England?? I don’t care who you are, it’s just not humanly possible. Period. It’s laughable to even consider it and all the squabbling we do with each other about who’s a better jumper is meaningless. OK, but let’s say you really want to get over there. Well, you could try swimming or rowing a boat, but only if you want to spend lots of time with the fishes. Honestly, if you really want to get to England, I don’t care how hard you try or what you do, nobody is going to be able get there under their own power. So now what?

FAITH
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 (NASB)

Most people would probably opt to fly in a commercial jetliner. Trouble is, first you need a ticket, but you can’t afford one. Fortunately, a very wealthy patron has an unlimited number of tickets available for free and you’ve been offered one. Woo hoo!! Now you’re ready to go and there is nothing stopping you, right? WRONG!! There’s still something you absolutely have got to have if you’re going anywhere - Faith. That’s right, faith. First of all you have to truly believe in the airline company. You have to have faith that their big hunk of steel and aluminum can actually get up into the air and fly. You also have to take it on faith that they’ve hired competent pilots and mechanics and perform maintenance as required and that they’ve put enough fuel in, etc., etc., etc.

IF YOU DON’T TRULY BELIEVE THAT THE AIRLINE HAS ALL THIS IN PLACE, YOU WON’T STEP ONE FOOT ON THAT PLANE. Even though it’s all true, none of it matters if you won’t believe it. You’ve got a free ticket, your bags are packed and the plane is ready to go, but because of your lack of belief, you are not going anywhere. Not because of the airline, but because of you.

19 So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.
Heb 3:19 (NASB)

WHAT’S MY PART – I
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Eph 2:8-9 (NASB)

Now let’s say I have the faith to board the plane. What else does the airline expect me to do to help the flight safely make the crossing? NOTHING! Do you think the airline might expect me to advise the pilots? Not a chance! Would they expect me to help with the navigation? Only if they don’t care where they end up. All they really expect of me is to sit in my seat and relax. So upon landing, what bragging rights do I have for the successful flight? ZERO, NADA! I didn’t do anything nor could I nor was I expected to. All I can truly do is accept the free ride and be thankful.

WHAT’S MY PART – II

The ticket to ride has been given free of charge and without conditions. That’s been made clear in the literature. What if I’ve got faith to board, but when I go to get my ticket, the ticket agent, on his own, tells me “The ticket’s free, but you are required to assist in the flight. Here’s the deal, to insure the flight will make it, on a rotational basis, each passenger has to stand in the aisle for five minutes flapping their arms like a bird while reciting ‘I think I can, I think I can, I know I can, I know I can’ over and over. This is the only way you can make it.”? What??? I’d tell the guy to buzz off because it’s completely unnecessary. Even if the agent himself actually believes it, he’s wrong. To paraphrase one of my favorite Bible teachers, Les Feldick, “it’s the airline plus NOTHING!!!!” There is nothing more expected or required of me. It’s not the airline plus my efforts, it’s the airline plus nothing. That really is how simple it is.


THE JOURNEY
27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14:27 (NASB)

One last thing I’d like to share. Now we’ve boarded and we’re in the air. If you look around, you’ll probably notice some passengers cool, calm and collected and others with white knuckles who are putting permanent indentations in the armrests. Why the difference? Fear. The passenger calmly reading her newspaper has experience with the airline, knows they can handle the program and that the plane will arrive just fine. No problem. The other passenger’s faith doesn’t extend that far. You’ll also see passengers that are good and relaxed until the plane hits some turbulence and then, Hoo Boy! Meanwhile, the more experienced traveler maybe steadies his computer and then just keeps on unfazed. He knows that there’s always going to be some turbulence, some worse than others, but that, in the plane, he always gets to his destination just fine. The real lesson is that we’re all going to get there whether we make ourselves miserable during the trip or not. The plane is going to make it regardless of what we think so, in faith, we may as well relax and enjoy the trip. The quicker we learn and accept that fact, the easier it all becomes.

33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." John 16:33 (NASB)

CONCLUSION

9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; Romans 10:9 (NASB)

I hope this helps take some of the confusion out of salvation in Jesus. It’s an incredibly fantastic gift, but it’s not “mysterious”. The simple fact is we are saved by our trust and faith in Jesus and His finished work on the cross. Period. It’s not “Jesus plus….”, it’s Jesus ONLY. When we believe, we are placed in Him and begin the journey. One problem with airplanes is, occasionally they do crash. The Good News is Jesus never fails. In fact, once we’re in Him, the trip is so assured that the Bible says we’re already in heaven! There’s no “if” about it, just when. It’s somewhat like dropping a steel anvil – as soon as you let it go, you could say it’s on the ground even if it takes a few seconds to get there.

5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus Eph 2:5-6 (NASB)

Go in His Peace.