“You Christians are very lucky! For you, salvation is easy. For me, it is very hard!” so exclaimed a relative from a different religion. Is his statement true?
Mankind, which includes you and me, are in dire straits. We are all sinners and have fallen “short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Therefore, all of us need to be saved from sin and death. But by the grace of God, we are saved when we place our faith in Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to pay for our sins. Our faith in Jesus allows us to be forgiven and restored to a right relationship with God (Romans 3:24).
So, salvation cannot be earned or achieved. It is God’s gift through faith in Jesus Christ. We can never earn salvation through good deeds or by becoming a solidly moral person. It is only through faith in Jesus that we can be saved.
If you believe in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and repent of your sins, you are saved. And this is an objective truth that is not based on your feelings. To repent means to reject sin and draw emphatically to God. As believers, we will still sin, but our salvation is secure as we continue to ask for forgiveness, repent and have the desire to love God by obeying Him.
And as we continue to journey with God, He will transform us to be more like Jesus and thus please and glorify God with our life. This transformation will not happen overnight as it requires God’s care, moulding and discipling throughout our life. In this regard, the Holy Spirit will be with us to empower and guide us to become more like Jesus.
So, brothers and sisters, to reiterate, our salvation by faith in Jesus is an objective truth founded on God’s iron-clad promise. When we experience doubts, possibly caused by life’s storms or turbulence, we can and must take assurance from God’s Word. Remember…
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Therefore, if you believe in Jesus, cast aside any doubt and live for him, hour by hour, day by day and year by year, until you see him face to face… May God help and guide us!