Is Salvation A Free Gift? David Field September 14, 2010
Fist let’s define the word salvation. Many Christians think of salvation as the saving of their souls from damnation to hell. This is looking at the negative side of it. This is the self-centered perspective. Self-preservation is self-motivation. For this reason, I don’t believe a fire escape is God’s view of it.
Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Salvation is being in Christ. Salvation from sin is to not live in sin. To attain salvation we must turn from our own ways, the ways of self, the ways of sin, and follow Jesus the Christ, Yashua the Messiah. Salvation is not a free gift that you can just take and run. You cannot be with Jesus and be without him at the same time. To be with Jesus is the free gift. This is salvation.
Being in Christ means to obey his commandments. He plays the role as your master. He will not play by your rules, or let you be the master. You cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve self as a master and Him both.
Mathew 19:17 And he said unto him,Why callest thou me good?there isnone good but one,that is,God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
1 John 2 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 7Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
Maybe we ought to follow the example of the Lord Jesus?