#1 Salvation covers your past
Jesus took away every sin that you ever committed and blots it completely out when you accept Him as your Lord and Savior. And you need to know that when you put your faith in Jesus, because the devil will be there to attack that by whispering in your ear the very same things that he spoke to our first parents in the Garden of Eden. Did God really say what you thought He said? We must base our salvation not on our feelings, but rather on what the Bible teaches about the finished work of Jesus Christ. When you put your faith in Christ the Bible makes it abundantly clear that you are saved!
1 John 5:10 (NLT)
10 All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don't believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don't believe what God has testified about his Son.
Romans 8:16 (NLT)
16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children.
John 5:24 (NLT)
24 "I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.
This does not say they hope they are saved or maybe we are saved. No! Jesus says if you believe in me...you have eternal life.
1 John 5:13 (NLT)
13 I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.
Salvation covers your past. You are SAVED!
#2 Salvation Covers Your Present
Not only has God saved you from the past...but listen to this: God is saving you! Saving me from what you might ask? The power and control of SIN.
2 Corinthians 1:10 (NLT)
10 And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.
Yes, God has saved me, and God is saving me every single day; and yes, He will save me in the future as well. Saved from what? From future judgments.
Romans 5:9-10 (AMP)
9 Therefore, since we are now justified (acquitted, made righteous, and brought into right relationship with God) by Christ's blood, how much more [certain is it that] we shall be saved by Him from the indignation and wrath of God.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more [certain], now that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved (daily delivered from sin's dominion) through His [resurrection] life.
God has saved me...God is saving me...and God will yet save me in the future. But what does it mean to be saved? What exactly does that encompass? What does it include? Well, let's unwrap it.
Romans 5:1-2 (AMP)
1 THEREFORE, SINCE we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
2 Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God's favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.
#3 Justification & Regeneration
The apostle Paul tells us that we are justified. Now before I get to that very important word let me contrast it with another word we need to know about: Regeneration. When you believe in Jesus you are regenerated. To be saved is to experience regeneration. We use words interchangeably like: born again; believing; saved...and regeneration. So, when you place your trust in Christ you are regenerated. You pass from darkness unto light; from the power of Satan unto God; from hell unto heaven. Now let's contrast this with the word justification.
Regeneration has to do with what takes place in a believer's heart; where justification concerns our standing before God. Regeneration is God's answer to the problem of spiritual death; justification is the answer to the problem of guilt. When you put your trust in Jesus all evidence of sin and guilt is completely wiped out.
Acts 13:38-39 (NLT)
38 "Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins.
39 Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God-something the law of Moses could never do.
Hebrews 10:17 (NLT)
17 Then he says, "I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds."
Jeremiah 50:20 (MSG)
20 In those days and at that time"-God's Decree- "they'll look high and low for a sign of Israel's guilt-nothing; Search nook and cranny for a trace of Judah's sin-nothing. These people that I've saved will start out with a clean slate.
A clean slate...I like that a lot! This is what happens when you believe in Jesus. Look what it says in the book of Micah.
Micah 7:18-19 (MSG)
18 Where is the god who can compare with you- wiping the slate clean of guilt, Turning a blind eye, a deaf ear, to the past sins of your purged and precious people? You don't nurse your anger and don't stay angry long, for mercy is your specialty. That's what you love most.
19 And compassion is on its way to us. You'll stamp out our wrongdoing. You'll sink our sins to the bottom of the ocean.
God has taken your sins and thrown them into the deepest part of the sea and has posted a sign above them that says: NO FISHING ALLOWED!!!
Have you ever wondered where those documents go when you hit the delete key on your computer? Where does that text actually go? They probably go to the same place that all those socks go after being placed in the laundry room. Why is it that you only lose one sock? The strangest part is that we stuff those single socks back in the drawer as though some day the prodigal sock will come home. The point is: when God hits the delete key to our sins they are gone forever! The negative is justified.
There is a positive side to the word justified as well: it means "to put to one's account." When God justifies someone through Jesus Christ...He puts to their account His own righteousness. What this does is it balances the moral and spiritual budget of our lives once and for all.
Philippians 3:8-9 (NLT)
8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ
9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
Now this is not a gradual process...it doesn't take place over a period of time. It is instantaneous...God removes your sin and then He puts the righteousness of Christ in your account. See, this is the part about justification that many people fail to understand. God provides for your future. How is this done? Is this done through my good works that out weighs my bad works. No way! This is done through the efficient death of Jesus Christ on the cross when He met the righteous demands of God the Father.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT)
21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
I am not sure who originally quoted this but we can gain some insight by its wisdom.
"It is said that Jesus was treated on the cross as if He had committed every sin that every believer had ever committed in the world Himself...so that God could treat every believer as if they had lived Christ's perfect life."
#4 Adoption
Galatians 4:4-7 (NLT)
4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.
5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.
6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father."
7 Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.
One thing that you need to know is God knows everything about us before He ever adopted us to be His children. God knew what He was getting and was joyfully in pursuit of us. Parents know their children. Therefore, we need to appreciate our salvation...but we also need to work out our own salvation. Not work for it!
Philippians 2:12 (WuestNT)
12 Wherefore, my beloved ones, as you always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, carry to its ultimate conclusion your own salvation with a wholesome, serious caution and trembling, for God is the One who is constantly putting forth His energy in you, both in the form of your being desirous of and of your doing His good pleasure.
It would be rather silly to let someone else workout or exercise for you, and you expect to be fit from their effort. That does not happen. Let me close with six statements followed up by the Word of God to whether or not we are saved. Keep in mind if you are saved it will affect the way you live your life.
(1). If you are a Christian you should have asked Jesus to forgive your sins and receive Him as your Lord.
1 John 4:15 (HCSB)
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God-God remains in him and he in God.
(2). Do you obey the commands of God?
1 John 5:3-5 (HCSB)
3 For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden,
4 because whatever has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith.
5 And who is the one who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
(3). You will love and obey the Word of God.
1 John 2:5-6 (HCSB)
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly in him the love of God is perfected. This is how we know we are in Him:
6 the one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked.
(4). You will be unhappy and miserable when you are sinning.
1 John 3:9 (MSG)
9 People conceived and brought into life by God don't make a practice of sin. How could they? God's seed is deep within them, making them who they are. It's not in the nature of the God-begotten to practice and parade sin.
(5). We should keep ourselves from participating in the devil's lifestyles.
1 John 5:18 (AMP)
18 We know [absolutely] that anyone born of God does not [deliberately and knowingly] practice committing sin, but the One Who was begotten of God carefully watches over and protects him [Christ's divine presence within him preserves him against the evil], and the wicked one does not lay hold (get a grip) on him or touch [him].
(6). You will love other Christians.
1 John 5:1 (AMP)
1 EVERYONE WHO believes (adheres to, trusts, and relies on the fact) that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah) is a born-again child of God; and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him (His offspring).
I pray that if you have been concerned at whether or not you are saved, that this devotion in some way today has helped you settle that once and for all. If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then I pray that you will bow your head right now and ask Him into your heart. He is waiting...why are you waiting? If you have surrendered your heart to Him today while reading this devotional then write us and tell us your story and I will send you a free copy of my book, Get a Second Opinion." Until next week know that you are who God says you are!
