Cedar Rapids Trinity UMC - It's ALL about Jesus!!
Salvation is by faith in Christ alone!
So.......what is this "salvation" stuff all about?
As a United Methodist church, we state our beliefs in a statement known as our Doctrinal Standards, and the Methodist "Articles of Religion" are a part of these standards. Regarding salvation, the fifth Article of Religion states, in part:
"The Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation; so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation......"
OK - fine. The Scriptures contain all things necessary for salvation. But what exactly do the Scriptures say? Let's take this journey together, shall we?
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1) Romans 1:20-21(NLT): "From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks..."
So, the FIRST thing that we need to do is to understand that GOD IS GOD, AND WE ARE NOT (don't laugh - the way a lot of people live reveals that this is an area of confusion for many)! He is the maker of all things, including you and me. He is perfect in every way - all powerful, all knowing, present everywhere, perfect in love & wisdom - and as such, is not only worthy of our praise, but also our obedience. He is the Creator - we are only part of the creation!
2) Romans 3:23 (NLT) “For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard .”
One of the favorite things that we like to do is to compare ourselves to others. In this area, we like to say "Well, compared to so-and-so, I'm pretty good!" The only problem with that is that we compare ourselves to the wrong standard - we need to compare ourselves to God's holy perfection instead of the guy next door, because THAT is what God calls us to (as the Scripture says, "Be holy, for I am holy"). That's when we find out that NONE of us is capable of living up to the perfect standards of God - one sin makes us a sinner. That goes for everyone - even you!
3) Romans 5:8 (NLT) “ But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
As a sinner, we deserve the same treatment that Adam and Eve received - namely, being thrown out of the presence of God because of our disobedience (also known as "sin"). But even though we act the way we do, God still loves us, and provided ONE (and ONLY ONE) path to salvation, and that is through the selfless love of Jesus Christ!
4) Romans 6:23 (NLT) “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
It's really simple - if we remain sinners, we will "earn" the "wages" we deserve - that is eternal "death", or separation from God, much the same as Adam and Eve were separated from God in the Garden of Eden. However, if we accept the free gift that God offers us - Jesus as our Lord and Savior - AND repent of our sins, we will have eternal life. [WAIT!! What does "repent" mean? Think of repentance as a two-part process - part one is "turning AWAY from our sins", and part two is "turning TOWARDS God and His holy way of living".] Remember, though, that a "gift" isn't earned - it can only be given and received. To do that...................
5) Romans 10:9-10 (NLT) “For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved."
That's right - that's all it takes. It's called FAITH! And it isn't about "religion" - it is about a RELATIONSHIP with God through Jesus Christ! Understand this, however - God knows what is in your heart, and if you just say a bunch of words without meaning them and TRULY turning your life over to Jesus Christ, you are only kidding yourself.
[HEY - WHAT ABOUT OTHER "RELIGIONS"? DON'T WE ALL GO TO HEAVEN, JUST BY OUR OWN WAY? NOPE - God only gave one way, and that is by faith in Jesus Christ. If that isn't true, then Jesus is a liar and a lunatic, because it was Jesus who said "I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life......" , not "one of the ways, part of the truth, and some of the life......"]
6) Romans 10:13 (NLT) “For anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
That's right. The free gift of salvation is available to anyone who wants it, and all you need to do is to give your life to Jesus Christ. When you truly do that, something wondrous happens - you become a "new creation in Christ"; literally, you become a new person. God forgives you your past sins, and gives you His Holy Spirit, to guide you in life from this point forward, teaching you God's way of living!
You experience salvation in three ways:
a. You are saved from the PENALTY of sin - your past sins are forgiven, and God sees you as if you've never sinned at all!
b. You are saved from the POWER of sin - by God's Holy Spirit you have the power to avoid sin TODAY.
c. You are saved from the PRESENCE of sin - as a "born again" new creation, you have God's assurance of living with him for all eternity, where sin WILL NEVER exist again to tempt you!
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So............what are you waiting for? Look honestly at your heart today. Is God at the center of your life? Are you living your life for God, or are you living your life only for YOU? If you died today, are you sure of your relationship with God? Are you ready to KNOW that you are forgiven of your sins? Are you ready to live in the assurance of God's grace through His Holy Spirit? Are you ready to experience full fellowship with Jesus Christ? Are you ready to love God with ALL your heart, mind, and soul, and to love your neighbors as yourself? In short - are you ready to be a Christian?
If so, good for you! No one has ever regretted the joy and the fullness of life that discipleship in Jesus Christ brings! Consider praying a prayer like this to ask Christ into your life:
"Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner. I ask that You examine my heart today as I ask for Your forgiveness. I truly repent of my old ways, and I ask that You start a new work in me as I turn my life over to You. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for dying for me, and for providing to me Your gift of the Holy Spirit, whom I receive now. Help me to live Your way, and to grow in Your love. In Your Holy Name I pray. Amen."
Glory to God! Now, please understand this - you are only at the BEGINNING of your journey as a Christian, not at the end. It is critical that you get involved with a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church, to help you to grow in this new relationship that you've entered into and to equip you in living out this faith. Join us here at Trinity for worship and Bible Study, and feel free to drop Pastor Bob an email at b_voels@yahoo.com to ask any questions about "what's next?"