Salvation, but not for you??

I don’t know what made me think this. Maybe it is because I am still amazed that God loves me, Christ died for me and I am on this path that blows my mind and brings me such peace in this world. I still have visions of past sins in my life. I still struggle with humanness now. I am, after all, a human. But I look at my life and all that I have done and been through and I know that there are people who knew me before who say, “Who does she think she is? I remember when….” Some of those people are in my own family. Some call themselves friends, or did. Trust me, people, you can’t hate who I was or how I was any more than I did and do. So it leads me to think and write about who couldn’t be saved?

All of us have our own ideas of who can’t possibly find forgiveness and salvation. There is a long obvious list of rights and wrongs. One only has to look at the ten commandments and through the bible to know what sin looks like.

Exodus 20: 2-17: (The Ten Commandments)

But the bible talks so much more about who we should be, how we should act and what is considered sin. I would like to say it is obvious to most of the world, but truly, it appears that the world has no idea what sinful behavior really is anymore. We justify all kinds of sin and desensitize the world about what is sin. There is not much left to call sin, according to the world, except what grieves us personally. Newsflash: Something as basic as unforgiveness, not loving each other and having hate in your heart is sin. In the book of Matthew, we have enough scripture to fill our lives with knowledge.  

Unforgiveness: Matthew 6: 14-15: “14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Unloving: Matthew 5: 43-48: “⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[i] and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Hate: Matthew 6:14-15: “²¹ “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,^[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister^[b][c] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’^[d] is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”

These are the human sins that are sometimes hardest to recognize in ourselves and hardest to dethrone. Let me tell you something: It seems to me, from the work that God has been doing in me and it has been a long road, that my biggest sins seemed very hard to relinquish… until I gave them up. There is such a peace and joy in being able to say to your flesh, “No!” The rush of love and satisfaction that comes from obeying is more powerful than any drug. Once we say no, we can feel the love of God for being obedient! The more we relinquish to God, the more He can do in us and through us! But, those little things, ohhhhhh, those are the hard ones to see in ourselves and the hardest to work on. (Jealousy, insecurity, unforgiveness, hatefulness, selfishness, vanity, pride… the list goes on) Those seemingly small things can tighten satan’s grip on your heart. It takes vigilant prayer and constant correction.

Oh, but you say that these things aren’t enough to keep you from finding salvation? Hmmm. Let’s look at what the bible says about that.

1 John 2:9: “⁹ Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.”

1 John 4:20: “²⁰ If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot^[a] love God whom he has not seen.”

1 John 3:15:  ^“15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”

How bad are you really? Are you bad enough that you can’t get into Heaven? Did Christ really die for you? Is your name in the Book of Life? How is your heart these days? Are you on His team or are you going to the place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth? See. These questions can tear a person up inside. We are our own worst critics, regardless of how we act on the outside. But do you really KNOW the answers?

I am old. It is clear that I am old by the color of my hair and the transformation of my facial features and physique. I have lived a very long life, a secular life, one filled with sin, self-indulgence and sorely lacking boundaries.  I am a sinner. Do I have a right to say that I am justified and righteous? How can I possibly claim to be a Christian at my age and with my history? How can any of us?

If there were degrees to sinners, I wonder how we would be labeled. Let’s say that sinners are rated from 1 to 10. Number ten on the list of sins being the worst sinner. (Kind of like the ten most wanted list.) I wonder where each of us would end up on that list right this very moment. After all, my opinion of my sins will definitely be different from your opinion of my sin… and visa versa. Thank GOD literally that we are not to judge each other. So if murder and molestation are worst, how would we define lying, cheating, drug abuse, unforgiveness, hatefulness and sexual immorality? Where would they land on the sin scale?

Well, in reality, there are only two points on the scale, not ten. All sin falls into one category and the righteous fall into the other. Well, it truly is that simple, and then again it isn’t. After all, it isn’t what we say, it is what our hearts believe. The bible says such:

John 3:16-21: “¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”
Romans 10: 8-11: “⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”^[d] that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: ⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”^[e]   

We know that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. If we believe that Christ has died on the cross for our sins, that He rose again, we confess our sins and have faith, then we are saved. But did you know it is more than just a quick saying and you are in the club? I am not talking about works. Works won’t get you in no matter who you work for or what you give away. If you are sincere and are truly saved, there will be outward signs of faith. You will not desire to stay the same, you will be changed.

Matthew 7:17-20: “¹⁷ Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”
1 John 2: 3-6: “³ We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. ⁴ Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. ⁵ But if anyone obeys his word, love for God^[a] is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶ Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”
This being said, ask yourself if you are truly saved. Are you walking in sin and darkness or are you obeying His word. Are you working for charity and calling yourself a Christian, but living in sin and disobedience? Are you in or are you out? Are you light or darkness? This is why bible study and fellowship is crucial. It brings us closer to His word, desire for our lives and inward changes. God knows your true heart, but do you?