SALVATION

Is it Easier to be Saved or to Be Lost: It seems very appropriate that the word dynamite is a transliteration of the Greek word dunamis, which means power. Paul wrote, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power (dunamis) of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." Romans 1:16. If Paul's words are true, then everyone who possesses the gospel should also be filled with tremendous power.

Can a Saved man Choose to be Lost:  The power of choice is a wonderful gift from God. Yet there is one choice God never allowed man to exercise. No one can choose whether or not to be born with a sinful nature. The decision which affects our lives the most was made long, long ago by our forefathers. We have absolutely no choice about the kind of nature we possess at birth. It is a sinful nature. If unchanged it will lead to eternal death. But even though we are born with a fallen nature, God gives us a choice about changing that nature.

Satan's Confusing Counterfeit: Suppose you had to summarize the entire Bible in just two words. What words would you choose? I have thought about this, and I believe sin and salvation might be the most accurate answer. After all, Satan entered the picture very early to cause man to sin and to steal away his salvation. Incidentally, that was also the turning point for the human family.

Point of No Return: The most fateful words ever spoken by Jesus had to do with the fearful possibility of committing the unpardonable sin. He said, "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men." Matthew 12:31.

Alone in a Crowd: Powerful magnets of temptation are all around us trying to disturb our spiritual balance and turn us upside down. Those who trust in feeling and majority opinion are easily up-ended by the strong attraction of outside forces. Consoled by the presence of so many others about them doing the same thing, they soon begin to see everything in relation to their distorted view.

Baptism: Is it Really Necessary: Suppose you could survey the people who live in the hundred homes nearest to your own house on the subject of Christian baptism. What kind of answer would you get in response to this question: "How should a person be baptized in order to meet the Bible requirements of salvation?"

It is likely that you would get a dozen different answers, and possibly even a hundred. Some would say that they don't believe it is necessary to be baptized at all to be saved. Others would answer that true baptism is to go forward three times completely under the water. Some would contend that a few drops of sprinkled water on the head would constitute a valid baptism, while others would insist on pouring the water over the candidate. A few would strongly hold that a proper baptism consists of a single immersion backwards into the water.

Remember Lot's Wife: "Remember Lot's wife," said Jesus. That is probably the most dramatic, potent illustration the Master ever used in a sermon...it is very obvious that the words were being applied to those living on this planet right now. "In that day" refers to the "day when the Son of man is revealed."

Riches of Grace: I read recently about a business executive whose work was to continually conduct interviews of people who were seeking positions in his corporation. This man insisted on having a long office with his desk opposite the door where the applicants had to enter. As they would walk across the room to take their place in front of him, he would watch them intently. By the time they were seated he already knew what he was going to do about their application

Does God judge us in the same way that we judge each other? Aren't you glad He doesn't? He looks at the same people we do, but the Bible says that He does everything "according to the riches of His grace." And what a difference that makes! Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.

Three Steps to Heaven: If there could be a highway to the moon, it would take 20 months of constant driving at the rate of 400 miles per day to reach the land of the moon. If there could be a railroad stretching up to the sun, a streamline train traveling 90 mph non-stop, day after day and year after year, would require 116 years to reach sunny land. An airplane flying at 500 mph would have to travel non-stop for 500 years to reach the nearest fixed star.

Yet far beyond the starry sky lies the pearly gates of God's great heavenly sky city. No one knows how far it is in miles, and no one will ever develop a space vehicle for going there, but every one of us can get to that beautiful place by taking three simple steps...

The Armor of God: The Bible is a book depicting countless battles. From Genesis to Revelation, its pages reveal that there are both physical and spiritual wars raging...And like it or not, every single one of us is involved. The battleground for this intense spiritual struggle is not some piece of earthly real estate; it is the human heart. Both Jesus and the devil are supremely interested in winning possession of our minds and hearts. For this reason, Christians are called to be more than peaceful spectators or mediators in this cataclysmic conflict. We must be committed front-line commandos.