What Can Save You?

Romans 10:9

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.

I recently saw a cartoon of a boy at the knee of Jesus and the balloon over the child's head said, "Jesus, why am I the only one here in heaven with you?" Jesus replied, "Everyone else's theology was slightly off." This picture may seem humorous but it illustrates the frustrating disagreement among church denominations today. Non-Christians watch us argue over details regarding what God says or what He means while they reject the Lord because of the way they were treated when they visited a church.

If God demands that we live up to the requirements of every doctrine in the Bible before He allows us to have everlasting life with Him, then we are all lost. But if you were to ask the average person on the street, "what do you have to do to get to heaven?" the most common answer would be "you have to be a good person and do good things." Most would also say that you have to do more good deeds than bad so that the good you have done outweighs the bad.

Where in the Bible does God address that fallacy? Could you answer someone who gave you that answer? The Scriptures say that God knows our inner most thoughts and motives. He knows we are flawed because we choose our own way and act out of selfish desires. Oh yes, every once in a while we put others needs above our own but we will never meet the standards of moral perfection in thought and deed that He has required.

But the world insists that man is evolving and getting better. Look around you. There were more people murdered in wars and acts of violence in the last century than in all the previous centuries combined. More than 60 million babies have died from abortions. You and I fail to keep all of God's commandments every day. The heart of man is not getting better. The person who is lost must come to understand that everyone of us deserves the penalty for the sin we have committed and God will be the judge. He will even be patient until after we die to measure our lives. But the Bible clearly says that He will find us falling short and we will get the just consequences of death forever in a place of torment called Hell. When this Bible verse says that we can be saved, it means we will be saved from God's righteous judgement and we will not have to pay the penalty for what we have done. All our sin will be forgiven.

Why wouldn't anyone want such a gift of mercy? You and I have been called to the ministry of reconciliation and we carry the message of mercy. It is our commission to plead with them to come back to a right relationship with Him. Are you sharing it with others or are you too comfortable in your church life to be bold and proclaim it? The truth of the Gospel that brought you to your knees before the cross should also be a burning message in your soul for your friends, your neighbors, and those you know at work that are lost. Make it a goal in your life to memorize what the Bible says about salvation so you can share it boldly. Then look for opportunities to speak up.