Posted on 03/23/2019 8:28:32 AM PDT by savedbygrace
The Map of Salvation
Did you ever have an idea come to you out of the blue?
Of course you have.
I had one some time ago that was so deep yet so simple, that you just sit and stare at it.
I am a Bible believing Christian, but this idea is for anyone, Christian or non-Christian.
You see, some Christians believe the Bible teaches that if you are saved, you are always saved. Others believe the Bible teaches that you have to live and act righteously to continue to be saved. And non-Christians believe salvation is not real, that this life is all we have, so we should act as good as possible for our own good, or that isn’t necessary at all.
So, if you are not a Christian, please just imagine what struggles a Christian might have in regard to salvation. Always saved, or having to earn it often?
If you’re a Christian, let’s take a graphical journey to see what God sees as we live our lives. Pretend for a few moments that on a map of the United States of America that New York City represents the destination of Hell, and San Diego represents the destination of Heaven.
See it in your mind’s eye.
Now imagine there is a line between the two cities representing the path from one to the other. For you it could be a straight line, or a jagged line using the various Interstate highways and other roads going between them.
You are someplace on that line right now.
So, to understand how that represents the question of salvation for the Christian, let’s try to see what the Bible says about the journey, and what we need to do to receive and maintain salvation.
One of the main Bible passages indicating that doing good is not the free pass to salvation can be found in the gospels describing the events during Jesus’ crucifixion. He was crucified between two thieves. One of the thieves turns to Jesus and says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
This thief has just admitted that he deserved the punishment for stealing, and perhaps thought that if Jesus remembered him in the kingdom, that he might get a brief moment of respite in Hell. Jesus knew better and told him he would be in Heaven with Jesus. The thief was as close to Hell as a person on Earth can get, yet he turned to look toward Heaven, and admitted his sin, and asked for a little respite to his deserved punishment. He was immediately given eternal salvation. Wow!
With that in mind, now picture your path between New York City and San Diego. If it were showing the thief on the cross, the thief would be right on the city line to New York City, but rather than facing New York City, he was looking toward San Diego.
Maybe that’s you. You’ve lived a life controlled by sin and you know you deserve to be punished for it. But at some point in time, you look at the gospel and realize it’s true, that Jesus’ death on the cross is the punishment he took for you, and you no longer have to be punished. You are on the city line of New York City, as close to Hell as someone on Earth can be, but you are facing toward San Diego, Heaven.
God says to you, as Jesus said to the thief, you will be in Paradise with me.
But what about the other thief? He refused to accept that Jesus was the Way to Salvation, and continued to curse him. Well, there he was, right next to Jesus, the Salvation of the world, as close to Heaven as he would ever be, yet he was determined to stay on his path to Hell. He was on the city line of San Diego, but looking toward New York City.
Maybe that’s you. You are in the midst of sin and believe there is no way you can break out of it. Or, you’re peacefully living your life, unconcerned about whether there is salvation available to you or not. Either way, if you were to suddenly die, well, hello New York City, because you are on the city line AND facing that city as well.
Is there Biblical support for that scenario as well? Yes, there is. And once again, it comes from Jesus himself.
He taught the Parable of The True and False Disciples. He said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Some get confused about that parable because he spoke of doing the will of the father. Doing the will of the father does not mean living by a set of rules of what to do and what not to do. If that were the will of the father, then he never would have needed to send Jesus to us. He had already given a set of rules to the Jewish people through Moses. And, those who always sacrificed an animal for all of the times they failed to follow those rules, would receive salvation. So, the father had at least some people who were doing what they thought was the will of God.
And there was not one single person, other than Jesus, who followed the rules so completely that he or she never had to sacrifice an animal. Therefore, doing the will of the father is not living a life following all the rules.
In several of Paul’s epistles, he opens by saying he is “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.”
An apostle is a missionary who is sent by God to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is sent by the will of God to teach people that Jesus, through his death, is Salvation, because that is the gospel. So, the will of the father is to believe that it is only through the death of Jesus that we have eternal salvation. Believing that is not just a thought.
Believing that is what Christians do who have been given salvation.
Now let’s go back to the Parable of The True and False Disciples. The ones who immediately tell God, as soon as they face him, that they have done all the good works, have been living their lives according to the rules they thought were required of them, so they have earned Heaven by those works, Jesus says to them, “I never knew you.”
He is talking about not knowing them, and by that he means, ‘I never had a relationship with you.’ Those who are still thinking in terms of what they do might ask, “But he’s really saying that I never knew him, right?”
That might be the truth from their point of view, but Jesus is making it even more clear that salvation is not about them and what they do. It is about Jesus and what he does. And because those people are determined to think it’s about what they have done, Jesus speaks in terms of what that means to him. It means he never had a relationship with them. >P? Now, if he never had a relationship with you, then you never had a relationship with him. And so, you never had salvation. If you are not willing to believe that Jesus has done everything necessary for your eternal salvation, then you do not have salvation. That is frightening.
Those people the parable is referring to are a bit different from the situation we are looking at on our map of New York City and San Diego. The parable people are not looking to the other city. They are looking in the mirror. They are looking at their reflection and telling themselves, “I have qualified. I have done what is required. I have earned Heaven.”
They are not saying, “Look what Jesus has done.” Without that, there can be no relationship. Without a relationship, Jesus cannot know you. Without relationship, there is no salvation.
So, do you want a relationship? Do you want to face toward San Diego? Do you want to face toward Heaven? Acts 3:19 (NIV) Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
Repent means to turn from your sins. Then turn toward Jesus. Ask him to forgive all your sins. Accept his sacrifice as taking the punishment for your sins. Rejoice, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
Welcome to San Diego.
One of the good philosophical questions is, “What does God want?”
If one reads the Bible, what is the answer? Note this is what God says on the matter, not what we think.
That’s a great analogy. Thanks for posting that.
So, if you are not a Christian, please just imagine what struggles a Christian might have in regard to salvation. Always saved, or having to earn it often?
Thank you.
He wants people who will willingly worship him.
Yes.
Many years ago, I went to Pakistan for a Christian ministry to videotape testimonies of Muslims who had become Christians, and they told us what they suffered because of that.
Bookmark, and thank you
The map of salvation to the Kingdom is in the book of Exodus. Salvation from slavery then instruction and training on how to live given by Yeshua upon the mountain.
Then Yeshua came and operated as the kings and priests that we at the mountain were called to. He called us again to finally perform the mission; filled with His Holy Breath.
God will, reluctantly and with regret, permit you to throw it away, however. It's the price to be paid for letting you be a free moral agent instead of an automaton.
Salvation comes from Jesus Christ on the Cross.
The one person who founded the first Church on the apostles.
One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic.
Only the Catholic Church is the true Church.
BTW, there was no Bible then. Everything was learned from person to person, face to face — which is what we call Holy Tradition.
Thank YOU.
The reasons that is not a correct statement are, one, he is no longer on the cross, and two, he had to allow himself to be sent to Hell (Hades) for the punishment he accepted for us and then be declared innocent and be returned to heaven.
His death on the cross was not the punishment that he took for us to earn our place in heaven for eternity. His death on the cross was a fulfillment of prophecy to complete his comparison to the Passover lamb.
And those reasons are why I disagree with the rest of your post, sir/ma'am.
He died for your sins and my sins.
Why aren’t you giving Jesus Christ the credit?
Are you committing a sin against the Holy Spirit by not believing in Christ?
Bye, for now. I’ve been in the hospital and need to do some other things.
You may disagree now, but you will come to believe.
May the Lord, our Father in Heaven, help you with your disbelief.
I agree. It takes a long time and a lot of rebellion against God before a person reaches the point at which he or she knowingly and willingly blasphemes the Holy Spirit.
In my opinion, there are a lot of Christians who need to be extremely careful about how they criticize the beliefs of some other Christians. Some refer to other Christians' outpouring of what are called the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as Satanic practices. That is dangerously close to blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
You are apparently reading what I didn’t write.
I am giving Jesus 100% of the credit.
What you appear to be saying is that unless I believe exactly as you do, I am not believing in Christ. Be careful of that.
Salvation is the gift of God, and only exists because of the pre-planned death, burial, resurrection of the Messiah from the dead ones, His ascension to the Holy Place in Heaven as the Only Eternal High Priest, offering there His Blood on the Mercy Seat Altar in reparation for the cost of the sins of humans, for the purpose of placating the just wrath of the Mighty God under which all humans were condemned to physical death and eternal fiery torture of their souls.
By this propitiation of The God's righteous anger, The Messiah Jesus purchased the right to assume ownership of these souls as their Lord and Master through paying the redemption price. For each of those who would understand and agree to this transaction and become His servants, He obtained reconciliation with His Father such that the confessor would be born again in the Spirit, become children of His Father and thus His brothers and sisters, able to do good works under the guidance of Holy Spirit and Comforter dwelling within the believer.
For those whom he bought with His Blood, and who thus became His Possession, who have understood this Plan and its consequences, but refused to endorse their inclusion in the transaction to be reconciled and to surrender as His servants, these remain under the control of the god of this world, incapable of accomplishing exonerating good works, and are to be on death consigned to Hell, and subsequently with their resurrected souls and bodies finally to the Fiery Lake of Torture along with Death, Hell, the Devil, and all of Satan's disobeying angels.
The other humans who for one reason or another were or are not capable to know of, be told of, God's Law; or unable to discern God's Plan of Salvation; those souls will be dealt with justly and lovingly according to their hearts, His Own Will, His Grace, and His Mercy.
There are no exceptions.
(This is the Christ-centered Gospel of Good News, as I understand it.)
True, but death is only a necessary part of the process it initiates.
Salvation is not offered on the basis of Jesus' death per se, and should not be described as such. It is by His burial, descent into Hell, resurrection from the dead ones, ascension to Heaven, the offering amd acceptamce of His Blood as the Redemption Price, and resumption of His Glory, as requirements for salvation to become graciously offered by His Father.
However, it is also true that this tale above leans a bit too hard on a human's reaction to the gospel rather than the Messiah's proactive accomplishments to provide it.
I like your handle and your willingness to speak out. Please stay with it.
I have not stopped thinking theologically, but I have stopped trying to be a theology technician. Just trying to live each day with Jesus is about all I can handle right now.
I now try to do for others what God does for me. He fills my grace bucket with His grace. I then have grace to give to others. The more I experience His forgiveness, the more forgiving I become. The more I experience His comfort, the more comforting I am to others. He sees my woundedness....I see the woundedness of others. And so on.
For me, it ceased to be just a theological relationship and has grown into a love relationship leading to changes in my behaviour. I no longer worry about whether I am saved or not, I just climb into his lap.
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