Bible Studies

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It is common knowledge that Christianity's "Salvation Plan" guarantee's one's sins are forgiven. But what else? Is there more?

WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?

When we think of the term 'salvation' our thoughts turn to freedom from sin, and of being saved, going to Heaven to worship God for eternity.  But what does that mean exactly, that your sins are forgiven.

When God forgives your sin, pretty much anything thing that you have done that is a violation of God's law is erased from His memory, He doesn't hold it against your soul.  The key to this divine pardon is two-fold, and not as easy as it sounds.   First you must Repent of your sins. Second, you must accept that Jesus Christ is God's only son, sent by God as a sacrificial lamb for the remission of sin.

Matthew 26:28  "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." 

The first step is turning to Jesus. Acknowledge that you are a sinful child and confessing your sins to Christ, and then you must repent.  Repentance is easy for some, and can be a process for others, for true repentance is an act of the heart.  To repent means to turn towards God, and away from sinful nature.  It completely goes against our human nature to put away desires of the flesh and focus on what God's plan for our lives are. 

In Biblical Hebrew, the idea of repentance is represented by two verbs: שוב shuv (to return) and נחם nicham (to feel sorrow). In the New Testament, the word translated as 'repentance' is the Greek word μετάνοια (metanoia), "after/behind one's mind", which is a compound word of the preposition 'meta' (after, with), and the verb 'noeo' (to perceive, to think, the result of perceiving or observing). In this compound word the preposition combines the two meanings of time and change, which may be denoted by 'after' and 'different'; so that the whole compound means: 'to think differently after'. Metanoia is therefore primarily an after-thought, different from the former thought; a change of mind accompanied by regret and change of conduct, "change of mind and heart", or, "change of consciousness". A description of repentance in the New Testament can be found in the parable of the prodigal son found in the Gospel of Luke (15 beginning at verse 11)." (from Wikipedia - Repentance)

It has become my opinion that those who suffer most in life are those who have no trouble turning to God with true repentance.  It seems that those who have had a more opportunistic life seem to have trouble understanding why they need to be saved of their sins, after all most of the populace's moral values are still in tact and most try to lead a morally safe life.  However we are not saved by works alone as it is wrtten in Titus :

 Titus 3:5 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost"

After salvation comes the test of your spirit. Once saved most people go through a 'honeymoon' type experience. Where God is moving noticeably in their lives.  Things are happening, lifestyles are being changed and there is a type of euphoric bliss that is felt: The Love of Christ.  some will become hungry for the Word of God and read and study Scripture as if they never had before.   They will continue to grow and their Spirit will mature, and soon God will produce amaizng fruits from them.  Then there are some who will hold on to their Faith, however will grow slowly and produce no fruits.  These are the  folks who attend church, and tithe, but never really achieve the spiritual connection God requires of us.  Finally, there are those who will fall aside quickly.  Unable to avoide the temptation of the Enemy and fall victim to their sins.

Finally after you repent and confess your sins to Jesus, you must become baptized.   Baptism is a symbolic and spiritual act of obedience to God.   From the time John the Baptist baptized Jesus to fulfill scripture, Baptism has been a part of the Salvation Plan from the beginning.   I'm not going to get into the fundamentals of Baptism in this article, but if you are intrested in reading more you can check out the Wiki.

HOW DO I BECOME SAVED?

Even though it may sound complicated it really isn't.  All you have to do to get started is to say a smiple prayer.  Tell Jesus that you are a sinner. Tell him how you have sinned, and make a convenant with Him that you will live His way, that His will be done in your life.  Repent from the heart, and work toward having a close relationship with Jesus.  You are going to sin. It is in our nature to do so. but once your name has been written in the Lamb's Book of Life, your sins are forgiven.

If you do not know Jesus, I pray that this study will touch your heart enough to reach out to Him and find out how He can save your life.

May God Bless You.

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