There seems to be a lot of confusion these days as to what constitutes salvation-- what the gospel really is.
Salvation isn't getting someone to say a prayer, it is getting someone to see Jesus. The gospel is presenting Him as an object of desire, the answer to one's dreams, the answer to one's fears. Salvation is entirely wrapped up in the person of Jesus. And when someone sees Jesus for who He truly is-- the great and mighty Savior, high and lifted up, yet the Lover of their souls-- they will see themselves as who they truly are: wretched and poor and blind and without hope in this world ... or the next. And then they will love Him. They will LOVE Him. Love Him because they will experience His love for them. His incomparable Presence; His inestimable Person; His inexpressible love. He will be to them precious, priceless, and preeminent.
We talk about the gospel as though it were a thing. We refer to it as the object which we preach, the purpose which drives us, the goal of our efforts. But the gospel is NOT a thing. It is Jesus. Jesus is whom we preach. Jesus is the purpose which drives us. Jesus is the goal of our efforts. Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!
"I," said Jesus, "if I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me." We can talk about doctrine, we can quote verses, we can present our arguments. But one real glimpse of Jesus is all we need to give to lead a soul to Him. Salvation isn't walking an aisle, it is seeing Jesus. It isn't kneeling at an altar, it is seeing Jesus. It isn't reciting prayers, it is seeing Jesus. O saint! Let this be your own prayer: that they may see Jesus! Let this be your one desire: that they may see Jesus. Jesus in your words, Jesus in your actions, Jesus in your love, Jesus in your life. Above all, Jesus in your life.
You are a witness. The purpose for which a witness is called to the stand is to testify to what they have seen, heard, experienced: to reveal what they personally know to be truth. And those who hear the witness also observe him or her. Is the witness credible? Does their manner belie their words? Or does it give credibility to them? Are you a good witness for your Savior? Not a perfect person, but a true witness. Does your life support your testimony that Jesus is who He says He is and does what He says He does? When you say He indwells the believer by His Spirit, are you in fact indwelt to the degree that someone can tell? When you say He makes you new, are you new to the extent that someone who knew you before can sense a difference? When you say He changes you, are you being changed into His image? Or are you indistinguishable from the world?
Christ being in us gives the hope of glory. Of course, to us. But also to others who do not yet know Him. When the Holy Spirit gave those words --Christ in us the hope of glory-- it was in the context of proclaiming the gospel to the nations and the perfecting of those who come to Christ. Paul wrote, "Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ." (Colossians 1:25-28 NASB) Paul concluded this passage by revealing what gave him the power to lead sinners to salvation in Christ and lift saints to completion in Christ: "For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me." What was this power? The Holy Spirit. Because of Christ's perfect sacrifice, effectual for all who will accept it, God the Holy Spirit can now make an individual man or woman His temple. And two things proceed from this: first, that we have His presence and power within us to work as witnesses to proclaim His gospel; and second, that this presence gives us the power to BE witnesses to the truth of His gospel. And BEING witnesses is quite something other than DOING witnessing. Anybody can speak God's Word; but only one who has been changed by Him can walk it and live it so as to give testimony to its truth.
Christians! If, with the exception of going to church and perhaps listening to gospel music, your lives are pretty much the same as they were before you claimed salvation, the time has come to get serious with God. We are living in the last days of the age of grace. The fields are ripe and ready for harvest. But there is yet work to be done. Will you be found a faithful servant when our Lord returns? Or a servant worthy of many stripes? The choice is yours. But if you have read this exhortation to this point, you will have no excuse if you continue on as your are. However, if you want to serve Him faithfully, then you must determine to allow Him to work in you, being willing to turn from the things of this world and put all of your focus and your hope in the things of Heaven. In other words, if you want to be one who sees many turned to Jesus, you must lift up Jesus in your own life; by faith making Him your primary focus; trusting completely in the fact that, at the Cross, He provided every single thing necessary for your life, including your worldly needs and your personal sanctification. He assures us that HE will do the work in us, supplying the will and the power (Philippians 2:13). He requires but one thing in us: the desire to obey, to be changed, to be ever closer to Him.
Saints! Now is the time not to argue, not to debate, not to proclaim a gospel of words; but to lift up Jesus. Lift Him up in our words, yes: but words that spring from the Word as written and the Word as made real in our lives. Let your light shine, brothers and sisters. Let your light shine. Allow God to polish you as Jachin and Boaz, the two mighty pillars at the entrance to the Great Temple in Jerusalem. The priests polished them to perfection so that they might reflect the glory of the rising sun. Today, determine in your heart to allow the Holy Spirit to polish you to perfection to reflect the glory of the coming Son!
Salvation isn't getting someone to say a prayer, it is getting someone to see Jesus. The gospel is presenting Him as an object of desire, the answer to one's dreams, the answer to one's fears. Salvation is entirely wrapped up in the person of Jesus. And when someone sees Jesus for who He truly is-- the great and mighty Savior, high and lifted up, yet the Lover of their souls-- they will see themselves as who they truly are: wretched and poor and blind and without hope in this world ... or the next. And then they will love Him. They will LOVE Him. Love Him because they will experience His love for them. His incomparable Presence; His inestimable Person; His inexpressible love. He will be to them precious, priceless, and preeminent.
We talk about the gospel as though it were a thing. We refer to it as the object which we preach, the purpose which drives us, the goal of our efforts. But the gospel is NOT a thing. It is Jesus. Jesus is whom we preach. Jesus is the purpose which drives us. Jesus is the goal of our efforts. Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!
"I," said Jesus, "if I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me." We can talk about doctrine, we can quote verses, we can present our arguments. But one real glimpse of Jesus is all we need to give to lead a soul to Him. Salvation isn't walking an aisle, it is seeing Jesus. It isn't kneeling at an altar, it is seeing Jesus. It isn't reciting prayers, it is seeing Jesus. O saint! Let this be your own prayer: that they may see Jesus! Let this be your one desire: that they may see Jesus. Jesus in your words, Jesus in your actions, Jesus in your love, Jesus in your life. Above all, Jesus in your life.
You are a witness. The purpose for which a witness is called to the stand is to testify to what they have seen, heard, experienced: to reveal what they personally know to be truth. And those who hear the witness also observe him or her. Is the witness credible? Does their manner belie their words? Or does it give credibility to them? Are you a good witness for your Savior? Not a perfect person, but a true witness. Does your life support your testimony that Jesus is who He says He is and does what He says He does? When you say He indwells the believer by His Spirit, are you in fact indwelt to the degree that someone can tell? When you say He makes you new, are you new to the extent that someone who knew you before can sense a difference? When you say He changes you, are you being changed into His image? Or are you indistinguishable from the world?
Christ being in us gives the hope of glory. Of course, to us. But also to others who do not yet know Him. When the Holy Spirit gave those words --Christ in us the hope of glory-- it was in the context of proclaiming the gospel to the nations and the perfecting of those who come to Christ. Paul wrote, "Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ." (Colossians 1:25-28 NASB) Paul concluded this passage by revealing what gave him the power to lead sinners to salvation in Christ and lift saints to completion in Christ: "For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me." What was this power? The Holy Spirit. Because of Christ's perfect sacrifice, effectual for all who will accept it, God the Holy Spirit can now make an individual man or woman His temple. And two things proceed from this: first, that we have His presence and power within us to work as witnesses to proclaim His gospel; and second, that this presence gives us the power to BE witnesses to the truth of His gospel. And BEING witnesses is quite something other than DOING witnessing. Anybody can speak God's Word; but only one who has been changed by Him can walk it and live it so as to give testimony to its truth.
Christians! If, with the exception of going to church and perhaps listening to gospel music, your lives are pretty much the same as they were before you claimed salvation, the time has come to get serious with God. We are living in the last days of the age of grace. The fields are ripe and ready for harvest. But there is yet work to be done. Will you be found a faithful servant when our Lord returns? Or a servant worthy of many stripes? The choice is yours. But if you have read this exhortation to this point, you will have no excuse if you continue on as your are. However, if you want to serve Him faithfully, then you must determine to allow Him to work in you, being willing to turn from the things of this world and put all of your focus and your hope in the things of Heaven. In other words, if you want to be one who sees many turned to Jesus, you must lift up Jesus in your own life; by faith making Him your primary focus; trusting completely in the fact that, at the Cross, He provided every single thing necessary for your life, including your worldly needs and your personal sanctification. He assures us that HE will do the work in us, supplying the will and the power (Philippians 2:13). He requires but one thing in us: the desire to obey, to be changed, to be ever closer to Him.
Saints! Now is the time not to argue, not to debate, not to proclaim a gospel of words; but to lift up Jesus. Lift Him up in our words, yes: but words that spring from the Word as written and the Word as made real in our lives. Let your light shine, brothers and sisters. Let your light shine. Allow God to polish you as Jachin and Boaz, the two mighty pillars at the entrance to the Great Temple in Jerusalem. The priests polished them to perfection so that they might reflect the glory of the rising sun. Today, determine in your heart to allow the Holy Spirit to polish you to perfection to reflect the glory of the coming Son!
