Do you truly know what salvation is and what it means to be saved.  Many don’t really know what salvation fully entails and aren’t willing to put forth the effort or commitment that Christ requires.  One such verse that Jesus speaks to all of us that requires a closer look is found in Matthew 7:13,14   “ Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life. and there are few who find it. “  

What Jesus is telling us quite clearly is that the wide gate is what the worldview or secular view is and only leads to hell and destruction.  With the wide gate, God has no place in most people’s heart and many choose to live their lives according to what the world has to offer.  Popularity, money, possessions, social status and worldly desires and pleasures, just to name a few.  Following Jesus is difficult and not the most popular road to travel.  Many people are under the illusion and false belief that because Christ paid the ultimate price through His blood on the cross, that they are free to live any way they see fit.  

 The biblical view of the kingdom of heaven is found only by the narrow gate which is the promise of eternal live with Christ everlasting.  Just saying that you are a Christian and then living your life through earthly pleasures and lusts is not the way to the kingdom of heaven.  There is only one way to salvation and that is through the narrow gate and can be summed up with what Christ Jesus Himself said in John 14:6  “ I Am the way, the truth and the life;  no one comes to the Father except through Me.”

So many Christians say they believe, but that is not enough and can best be said in James 2:19  “ You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe – and tremble.”  All throughout Jesus’ ministry, found in the four Gospels, Christ Himself, repeatedly states that loving Him above all things in life, is what is necessary to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. (see Matt.10:37-39)  God is not a priority in many people’s lives and is superficial in word only with little or no relationship with Christ in their hearts and minds.

To be clear and clarify what is required Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:21  “ Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, BUT he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”  and Jesus goes on and says, many will say to Me, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name. v22  And Jesus declares to them “ I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”   

Salvation in simple terms is God delivering people from the penalty of death by their sinfulness through repentance and the forgiveness of sins by true faith in Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 1:7  “ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”  Salvation is a gift from God through grace and cannot be earned through any good deeds on our own. (Ephesians 2:8)  We play no part in our salvation and this transformation is called regeneration or rebirth[born again] and happens the moment we truly believe and trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

The best description of this re-birth is spoken by Jesus in John 1:12,13  “ He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name;  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.   And again Jesus says in John 3:3,5,6  “ Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  v5  “ Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”  v6  “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”   Jesus also states it very clearly in John 4:24  “ God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

Jesus Christ clearly says to us that truly believing in Him that we will not perish but have eternal life as found  in the most quoted verse in all the Bible,  John 3:16  “ God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

Salvation then is truly believing and trusting in Christ Jesus that we are saved. ( see Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21)  The Apostle Paul says it best and speaks to the truth of salvation in Romans 10:9-13  “ If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, You will be saved.  v10  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  v13  For whoever calls on the Lord shall be saved.” (emphasis mine)

We must always remember that God’s gracious gift of Salvation does not free us from the requirement of faithful obedience.

Start today – Don’t delay and change your life - Let the power of God’s words speak to you and be filled with a peace and joy beyond measure.  

Find additional inspiration and encouragement found in the books “Finding Calm in the Storm of Everyday Living” or “Heart and Soul” either going to Amazon directly or hitting home at the top of this blog and scrolling down to the books.