Saved!

Saved!

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 NIV

Man's greatest need is not the things the eyes can see, the mouth can taste, the ears can hear or the nose can smell. Man's greatest need is not the stuff that can be quantified by currency or monetary value. We have allowed men like ourselves, who cannot see beyond the now, to define for us what is real and what is not. We then pursue that uncertain definition, unsure whether what we have is real or not, and definitely unable to categorically and confidently explain our heart's pursuits and priorities to someone else. How do I get to the point where I can be certain that what I hold on to is the real deal? How can I look to the future with hope, sure and certain that no matter what comes now or what is ahead, the One I have and know is sufficient and enough for me? I need to be really sure, as I look at the uncertain world around me.

Man's greatest need is eternal life. Life, as we know it now, is short. Even if you get to live up to 969 years, just as Methuselah did, those years are nothing compared to what you still get to spend in eternity. Methuselah has been dead now for centuries, with the entire genealogy starting with Abraham up to the taking of the land of Canaan by the Israelites taking at least 1,000 years. If this life is not all that matters then, how do I make sure that what I hold is the real deal? What is that real deal? The real deal is not an idea, concept, value system or set of principles; it is a Person. This is where matters of Christianity differs from all other religions. We hold on to a Person, who defines the principles and policies of our lives. The procedures are there, as well as the codes of conduct, but they only make sense and have impact when they are adhered to in the light of the Person. 

How do I meet this Person? Who is He? Today's extract reveals the full picture, as well as what I need to do to know him and make him mine. There is a physical confession of the lips; one that people can attest to, that shows that my heart seeks a new master. You do not call silent words a declaration; a declaration has to be heard or at least witnessed by one person. It is that declaration that is the public confirmation of the believe in your heart. The two have to align if what you hold on to is to be the real deal. I can make all the noise in public; show off all the 'right' moves that show me off as someone who knows the Person, but the thing about hypocrisy is this: you cannot fool all of the people all of the time. If there is a disconnect between my public declaration and my private belief, it will be obvious eventually. It is this harmony between the public declaration and the inner belief that leads to salvation.

Can I say of a truth that both of these things are evident in my life? Can I say of a truth that I know the Person and He also knows me as His own? Have I made a public declaration that Jesus is Lord, and is His Lordship and authority evident upon my life? Is that declaration just a show, or does it proceed out of a heart that believes in the death and resurrection of Jesus? Be sure of what the basis of your belief in Jesus is. Is he to you just a great man, a prophet, or the Saviour of the world? Whatever else you believe Jesus to be, the fulcrum on which our faith is based is the timeless message of the cross, the grave, the resurrection and the coming glory. There is no part of the above that you can take away, or deny, if what you hold will be the real deal. We live on earth, and if Jesus tarries long enough, we die and live forever with Jesus on the strength of the above. 

I just must carry out an audit of my life today. What is my belief system at the moment? Do I believe that Jesus is the Saviour? Have I accepted him as Lord and Saviour? Does He know that he is my Lord, or am I still struggling for clarity and foundation? If I believe he is the Saviour, have I declared him as such in my life? Do my friends know my stand? Do they know who is without any doubt in charge of my life? Does the imprint of Jesus upon my life shine out for others to see? Am I the silent type, never quick to declare who I am so that I do not offend people, or is the light of Jesus so evident upon my life that there is no doubt that he lives in me? These are questions that all who seek to gain eternal life with Jesus must answer; eternity is too long a time not to sure about what your priorities are. God's time of favour is here.