Monday, March 20, 2006

Acting Out Your Salvation...The 180 Change

We all know you can't lose your salvation, but someone always disagrees. The latest arguments at church have been about a stand on salvation that states you cannot lose your salvation, but that with salvation comes a change in which you live, eat, and breath God. This 180 change gives you the want to learn about God and the need for the knowledge of the Bible. How do you know if your salvation is real? Through the fruit of your faith. The greatest example in my opinion is Paul's conversion. Talk about a 180 change this guy went 540 from a profession of killing and persecuting Christians to a profession of learningand teaching God's word. In Acts 9:4-9 "He (Paul) fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?" later it says in verse 9 "For three days he was blind and did not eat or drink anything." I wish my salvation was this dramatic, and it was in a different way. I had been saved years earlier but it wasn't until a few weeks ago until it took full force, or until it had matured enough to see God's will for my life/time at that point. I had an experience one night that I cannot explain, I was getting home late (I don't remember why) and I was exhausted. As I sat there trying to get to sleep I felt the urge to read/sort my sermons from Sunday mornings. In doing this I found a short commentary, I read it and it led to the greatest experience in my life. I got a whole new perspective on my salvation. I now have the desire that I didn't have before to read different opinions on scripture, different practices within our diverse religion, and learn all I can possibly learn about God and his kingdom. The whole basis for the thought of having a dead salvation is being saved but doing nothing with it. How do you know that you are saved if you have nothing to prove it other than a date written in a Bible. We need to strive to increase God's kingdom and show the world his love. Don't have a dead salvation, let it lose and listen to God's 'still small' yet extraordinarily everlasting voice that is telling you what he wants for you each and every day.

1 comment:

stephen23 said...

good post nick. this is true that we must have an all out passion for Christ. listen to what He is telling you personally. opinions of others can help but christianity is all about a personal relationship with Christ and what he wants for you specifically. seek God with all YOUR heart and lean not on your own understandings. in all your ways ackowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.