Saved or Not Saved...

Although I was able to give an answer in the affirmative, for a brief moment, I honestly wasn't sure. It wasn't that I doubted Jesus' sacrifice on the cross; for that has never been a question in my mind. But what caused me to pause, even if only for a moment, was that I wasn't sure how well I had performed. I guess you could say that I wasn't sure if I had done my best as it related to the keeping of God's commandments. In other words, I wasn't confident that my "works" had met the standard of what I felt God's expected of me.

What I have since discovered in my years of being a pastor is that when it comes to doubting one's salvation, the issue is rarely with the work that Christ has done in our behalf, but rather with the quality of our works. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting that those who question their salvation are not familiar with the gospel of righteousness by faith. But what I am suggesting is that despite the gospel of being "saved by grace" that the apostle Paul preached with great assurance, there are many believers that are still holding on to the idea that their salvation is a direct result of how well they keep the law. In the words of Paul, they have traded the gospel of grace for a gospel that is really "no gospel at all."

This Sabbath I will begin a five part series titled, "Free at Last; A Journey through the Gospel in Galatians." In this series we will examine the gospel of righteousness by faith as presented in Paul's letter to the church at Galatia. This is a message for all of us who have paused, though however briefly, when confronted with the question of the source of their salvation. It is also for those who have pledged the allegiance to the "gospel of grace" so that this "good news" might be firmly cemented in their hearts forever.

Charles A. Tapp

Senior Pastor