HOW SAVED ARE YOU?
by Bob - KR4KG
IF SOMEONE WERE TO ASK YOU IF YOU WERE SAVED, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ANSWER? MOST OF US WOULD SAY, “YES I AM SAVED.” THE TRUITH IS YOU AND I ARE MORE THAN JUST SAVED. WE ARE MIRACULOUSLY, SUPERNATURALLY , AND WONDERFULLY SAVED.
YOU AND I DID NOT CHOOSE GOD, GOD CHOSE US.
IN JAMES 4:7-10, IT IS WRITTEN, SUBMIT YOURSELF TO GOD, AND RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE (THE DEVIL) WILL FLEE FROM YOU. DRAW CLOSE TO GOD, AND HE WILL DRAW CLOSE TO YOU. HUMBLE YOURSELF IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND HE SHALL LIFT YOU UP.
THINK ABOUT THIS, THERE ARE BILLIONS OF PEOPLE ON THIS EARTH, BUT GOD CHOSE YOU. GOD SAW SOMETHING IN YOU THAT HE DID NOT SEE IN OTHERS. ON JULY 9, 1965, GOD SAID, “BOB I CHOOSE YOU.”
ALONG THE WAY, ALL THE APOSTLES, INCLUDING PAUL, AND ALL OF US MADE SOME MISTAKES, BUT JESUS HAS ALWAYS BEEN FAITHFUL TO FORGIVE US. NOT UNLIKE OUR CHILDREN, HE REALIZES THAT WE ARE NOT PERFECT. HE KNOWS WE ARE GOING TO STUMBLE, HAVE DOUBTS, STRAY AWAY AND RETURN, BUT HE NEVER STOPS LOVING US.
NOT ONLY DID GOD DRAW US, CHOOSE US, AND FORGIVE US MANY TIMES; HE ALSO CHANGED US.
IN 2ND CORINTHIANS 5:17 PAUL WRITES, “THEREFORE IF ANY MAN (OR WOMAN) BE IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATURE: OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY; BEHOLD, ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW.”
THE DAY WE ACCEPTED CHRIST AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR WE (THE OLD SINFUL MAN AND WOMAN) DIED, AND WE WERE REBORN IN THE IMAGE OF JESUS CHRIST. NOT A PHYSICAL DEATH, BUT A SPIRITUAL DEATH. THE OLD SINFUL NATURE AT THAT MOMENT WAS AS DEAD AS CAESAR'S
GHOST. AT THAT VERY SAME SECOND A NEW SPIRIT (THE SPIRIT OF JESUS) WAS BORN IN US.
THERE IS SOMETHING I HEAR OUR PASTOR SAY A LOT. OUR WANTER WAS CHANGED. THE THINGS WE WANTED TO DO BEFORE WE WERE SAVED; WE NO LONGER WANTED TO DO ANYMORE. HAPPY HOUR WAS NOT SO HAPPY ANYMORE, LOOKING UPON A MAN OR WOMAN WITH LUST IN OUR HEARTS; WAS SOMETHING WE DID NOT CONSIDER RIGHT ANYMORE, AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.
WE IN OUR OWN STRENGTH COULD HAVE NEVER MADE THESE CHANGES IN OUR LIVES TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY WITHOUT WALKING IN THE LOVE AND STRENGTH OF JESUS DAILY.
SO WHERE ARE WE NOW? DRAWN, FORGIVEN, CHOSEN, AND CHANGED.
THERE ARE A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT WE WERE BEFORE YOU AND I WERE SAVED. ONE OF THEM IS REDEEMED. THINK ABOUT THE HYMN THAT SAYS WE WERE REDEEMED BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB. CHRIST PAID FOR US (REDEEMED US) BY HIS PERFECT SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY. REDEEMED MEANS PAID OUR SIN DEBT. TETELESTAI (SIC) IS A WORD, THAT CHRIST SAID ON THE CROSS, THAT MEANS, PAID IN FULL.
THE BLOOD OF SHEEP AND GOATS COULD NOT WIPE OUT SIN. IT COULD ONLY COVER THEM UP. ONLY THE PERFECT SACRIFICE OF JESUS COULD TOTALLY WIPE THEM OUT.
THIS BRINGS US TO ONE OF THE LAST THINGS WE RECEIVED WHEN WE WERE SAVED. WE WERE JUSTIFIED. AN EASY WAY TO EXPLAIN THIS IS TO BREAK DOWN THE WORD JUSTIFIED TO “JUST- IF- ID.” WE WERE WASHED IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, AND CAME OUT JUST IF I (WE) HAD NEVER SINNED. WASHED WHITE AS SNOW; OUR SINS WERE SEPARATED FROM GOD AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST; NEVER TO BE REMEMBERED AGAIN.
IN CLOSING: THE NEXT TIME SOMEONE ASKS YOU IF YOU ARE SAVED, TELL THEM I AM MORE THAN SAVED. I AM DRAWN, CHOSEN, FORGIVEN, REDEEMED, AND JUSTIFIED. THAT IS A LOT BETTER THAN JUST SAYING, “YES I AM SAVED”, AND MAY VERY WELL CAUSE THEM TO ASK YOU WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT, AND OPEN THE DOOR TO WITNESSING TO THEM. AMEN?
by Bob - KR4KG
IF SOMEONE WERE TO ASK YOU IF YOU WERE SAVED, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ANSWER? MOST OF US WOULD SAY, “YES I AM SAVED.” THE TRUITH IS YOU AND I ARE MORE THAN JUST SAVED. WE ARE MIRACULOUSLY, SUPERNATURALLY , AND WONDERFULLY SAVED.
YOU AND I DID NOT CHOOSE GOD, GOD CHOSE US.
IN JAMES 4:7-10, IT IS WRITTEN, SUBMIT YOURSELF TO GOD, AND RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE (THE DEVIL) WILL FLEE FROM YOU. DRAW CLOSE TO GOD, AND HE WILL DRAW CLOSE TO YOU. HUMBLE YOURSELF IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND HE SHALL LIFT YOU UP.
THINK ABOUT THIS, THERE ARE BILLIONS OF PEOPLE ON THIS EARTH, BUT GOD CHOSE YOU. GOD SAW SOMETHING IN YOU THAT HE DID NOT SEE IN OTHERS. ON JULY 9, 1965, GOD SAID, “BOB I CHOOSE YOU.”
ALONG THE WAY, ALL THE APOSTLES, INCLUDING PAUL, AND ALL OF US MADE SOME MISTAKES, BUT JESUS HAS ALWAYS BEEN FAITHFUL TO FORGIVE US. NOT UNLIKE OUR CHILDREN, HE REALIZES THAT WE ARE NOT PERFECT. HE KNOWS WE ARE GOING TO STUMBLE, HAVE DOUBTS, STRAY AWAY AND RETURN, BUT HE NEVER STOPS LOVING US.
NOT ONLY DID GOD DRAW US, CHOOSE US, AND FORGIVE US MANY TIMES; HE ALSO CHANGED US.
IN 2ND CORINTHIANS 5:17 PAUL WRITES, “THEREFORE IF ANY MAN (OR WOMAN) BE IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATURE: OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY; BEHOLD, ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW.”
THE DAY WE ACCEPTED CHRIST AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR WE (THE OLD SINFUL MAN AND WOMAN) DIED, AND WE WERE REBORN IN THE IMAGE OF JESUS CHRIST. NOT A PHYSICAL DEATH, BUT A SPIRITUAL DEATH. THE OLD SINFUL NATURE AT THAT MOMENT WAS AS DEAD AS CAESAR'S
GHOST. AT THAT VERY SAME SECOND A NEW SPIRIT (THE SPIRIT OF JESUS) WAS BORN IN US.
THERE IS SOMETHING I HEAR OUR PASTOR SAY A LOT. OUR WANTER WAS CHANGED. THE THINGS WE WANTED TO DO BEFORE WE WERE SAVED; WE NO LONGER WANTED TO DO ANYMORE. HAPPY HOUR WAS NOT SO HAPPY ANYMORE, LOOKING UPON A MAN OR WOMAN WITH LUST IN OUR HEARTS; WAS SOMETHING WE DID NOT CONSIDER RIGHT ANYMORE, AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.
WE IN OUR OWN STRENGTH COULD HAVE NEVER MADE THESE CHANGES IN OUR LIVES TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY WITHOUT WALKING IN THE LOVE AND STRENGTH OF JESUS DAILY.
SO WHERE ARE WE NOW? DRAWN, FORGIVEN, CHOSEN, AND CHANGED.
THERE ARE A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT WE WERE BEFORE YOU AND I WERE SAVED. ONE OF THEM IS REDEEMED. THINK ABOUT THE HYMN THAT SAYS WE WERE REDEEMED BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB. CHRIST PAID FOR US (REDEEMED US) BY HIS PERFECT SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY. REDEEMED MEANS PAID OUR SIN DEBT. TETELESTAI (SIC) IS A WORD, THAT CHRIST SAID ON THE CROSS, THAT MEANS, PAID IN FULL.
THE BLOOD OF SHEEP AND GOATS COULD NOT WIPE OUT SIN. IT COULD ONLY COVER THEM UP. ONLY THE PERFECT SACRIFICE OF JESUS COULD TOTALLY WIPE THEM OUT.
THIS BRINGS US TO ONE OF THE LAST THINGS WE RECEIVED WHEN WE WERE SAVED. WE WERE JUSTIFIED. AN EASY WAY TO EXPLAIN THIS IS TO BREAK DOWN THE WORD JUSTIFIED TO “JUST- IF- ID.” WE WERE WASHED IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, AND CAME OUT JUST IF I (WE) HAD NEVER SINNED. WASHED WHITE AS SNOW; OUR SINS WERE SEPARATED FROM GOD AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST; NEVER TO BE REMEMBERED AGAIN.
IN CLOSING: THE NEXT TIME SOMEONE ASKS YOU IF YOU ARE SAVED, TELL THEM I AM MORE THAN SAVED. I AM DRAWN, CHOSEN, FORGIVEN, REDEEMED, AND JUSTIFIED. THAT IS A LOT BETTER THAN JUST SAYING, “YES I AM SAVED”, AND MAY VERY WELL CAUSE THEM TO ASK YOU WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT, AND OPEN THE DOOR TO WITNESSING TO THEM. AMEN?
