Op-Ed: What is salvation, and who will be saved?
LIVING ON PURPOSE
By Dr. Billy Holland
There are a mixture of Biblical interpretations about eternal salvation, including the idea that Jesus will save everyone. This concept is traced back to the most popular verse in the Bible, as John 3:16 states that God so loved the “world” that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” At first glance, it may seem that Jesus is a Savior who rescues the entire world from doom, but it’s crucial to take a closer look, as we understand that everlasting life is conditional upon believing. This leads us to one of the most important questions in this life: what does it mean to believe?
If you were to take a poll about believing in God, you would find a majority of people who would say they accept that there is a God. However, believing there is a God and confessing and receiving Christ by faith as Lord and Master are not the same thing. We find an interesting passage in the second chapter of the book of James that helps us understand that anyone can claim to be a believer, but if there is no evidence of a desire to follow him, words of faith without works are dead. It goes on to say in verse 19, and I’m using the New Living Translation, “You say you have faith and believe there is one God? Good for you! The demons also believe this and tremble in terror.” Our text explains that demons acknowledge his existence and know exactly who God is, but they are not saved or a part of God’s family.
The verse challenges the idea that simply understanding and agreeing with religious facts equates to the type of faith that God recognizes. James is making a sharp distinction between intellectual belief and a personal “spiritual” relationship with Christ. So we see that if a person’s perception and awareness of God does not translate into submission to God within their thoughts and deeds, it’s no better than the mental belief of Satan and his demons, who have been eye witnesses to God’s power and glory.
The truth is that God’s grace is offered for all who will surrender their will to Him and become spiritually transformed into a new creation. Salvation is a gift that needs to be received and incorporated into the believer’s life, instead of assuming it was a one-time demonstration of God’s love that automatically forgave everyone’s sins and reserved a place for every soul in heaven forever. Does the Bible not mention that there are two eternal destinations awaiting every person after this life? In this light, eternity is the most important topic we could discuss. To assume there are no consequences for ignoring God and refusing to submit to him is a popular idea, but it’s a deception from the dark side. The message from Satan to the world is to relax and do whatever you want because Jesus paid for everyone’s sins. This is just another example of how he loves to distort and confuse God’s word.
So, what do we need to do to be saved? We are reminded of the rich young ruler in Matthew chapter 19, who asked Jesus the same thing. When Christ explained about sacrifice and total commitment, the man became sad because of his great love for the world. Within the seldom heard message about taking up our cross and following God, the requirement to become a living sacrifice is much like the example Christ made when he agreed to be the sacrificial Lamb of God. This reality has everything to do with surrendering our desires and plans so that we can accomplish his vision for our lives. The renewing of our minds is not an option if we are to please him in this life and at the judgment when someday we will stand before him.
God is the refiner, and as fire is used to remove the dross, the Lord uses his fire to eliminate carnality and rebellion from the conscience of his saints. The more of our sinful nature that is removed from our heart and soul, the more of His holy nature and character can be manifested within us. Is this your highest priority, or will you always refuse to be controlled by God? The earthly life was not all fun and games for Jesus, and neither was it meant to be for those who are born again and have a passion to become as pure gold.
Dr. Holland is an ordained minister, chaplain, teacher, and author. Read more about the Christian life at billyhollandministries.com.