Weekly Devotional 12-3-12 Jesus Saves
Years ago there was a church in Los Angeles, California that had a sign on top of the roof that said, “Jesus saves”. The sign was there for many years and was a beacon to all that saw it. As one crosses and crisscrosses America they will see similar signs in the front of or on the roofs of many of its churches and when they do, if they are conscious of it, they will consider the meaning of the message intended, Jesus saves. The first thought that will come to mind for most people will be that Jesus saves a person from hell, from eternal punishment, and that thought of course is correct, He does save “some” from such judgment, but there is much more to it than that. He also saves those same persons from enslavement to sinning. Every person saved (made righteous) by Jesus will continue to sin throughout his (or her) lifetime but they are no longer held captive to sinning. After a person is saved (made righteous, born again spiritually) sin becomes a choice not a condition of his (or her) old nature, the nature of Adam. He (or she) will come to detest sin not revel in it, choosing to sin for the person saved becomes more and more of an oddity rather than the norm. Along with being saved Jesus sends His Spirit into the heart (the spirit) of man and as he (or she) grows in love toward God, a product of salvation, sin loses its influence and control. So, there is much more to salvation than Jesus propitiation of it.
For our part, the person who has been saved we will come to realized (a work accomplished by the Holy Spirit) that even though Jesus willingly and freely saves, yet salvation is not a free ride. The apostle Paul addressing this issue wrote, “16I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16-25 NKJV).
James, the half brother of Jesus, the pastor of the first century Jerusalem church, wrote; “22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” “James 1:22-25 NKJV).
What a blessing for the person “saved” to know that he (or she) has been redeemed from the penalty of sin (spiritual death—eternal separation from God), but also from its power over him (or her). Now, there will be some who read this that are unwilling to surrender the control of their lives to God. But, please realize, a person either lives surrendered to the authority of God or is enslaved to sin, there is no third option.
How might I know if I am surrendered to the authority of God or am enslaved by sin? Someone might ask. A simple answer is; what offends you, God or sin? Do you wear God on your sleeve (so to speak) openly, or do enjoy those things that offend Him? One cannot take pleasure in the things that offend God, and please Him. What is an affront to Him should be an affront to you.
May we all, the next time we see the words “Jesus Saves” be able to assuredly say, yes Lord, thank you for saving me from eternal separation from God, but also be able to assuredly say, thank you for saving me from the power of sin over me.
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com