“Brothers and Sisters, are you
saved?” the evangelist asked from the pulpit at a revival I went to several years
ago. I immediately thought of a follow up question.
“Brothers and Sisters, WHY are you
saved?”
The Bible says we should “examine
yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not
realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you
fail to meet the test!” 2 Corinthians 13:5.
Most people think they are saved,
hope they are saved, or believe maybe they are saved. But the second question
is equally important: If you are saved, what is the purpose of your salvation?
Jesus said in Matthew 18:11, “For
the Son of man has come to save those who are lost.”
What exactly does that mean? I believe we are saved for a number of reasons, most of all to glorify God. But from our perspective, here are at least five reasons I see in the Bible that we are S.A.V.E.D.
First, we are “saved” for Sanctification
in purpose. We are saved for a purpose and we are to be set apart. The Greek
word for sanctification or set apart is “hagios” and when used to describe believer, it is translated as “saints”.
The most common word used for
Christians in the Bible was not “Believers” or “Christians” but “saints.” Now lest
you think, “a saint, I AIN’T”, the word “saint” in the Bible does not mean what
we commonly think of as a pure or near perfect person.
The “saints” were people who believed
and followed Christ and were “set apart” from the non-believers. The term was
used 61 times in the New Testament and referred to living, breathing, and, yes,
imperfect people who were called to be holy.
Many believers today are saved and
are set apart, but they often are lost in their purpose. Ephesians 2:10 says “we
are God’s masterpiece (“poema” or work of art), created in Christ Jesus “so we
can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Rick Warren is intrinsically linked
with the word “purpose”, having written The Purpose-Driven Church and The
Purpose-Driven Life. We who are saved must find the purpose for which we
were set apart, but many are lost from their God-given purpose.
Secondly, we are saved for
Activation in good works. We are not saved by service but saved for service. The
book of James famously states that faith without works is dead. Our good works
are not what save us. Jesus Christ did that on the cross.
And yet, many saints are lost from good
works. Christ came to seek and to save us from being lost.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus
said that our activation in good works will shine as a light before others and
will bring glory to God (Matthew 5:16).
Jesus said in Matthew 7:20 that Christians
will be known by their fruits. And ultimately all fruits have their roots in
the most vital fruit of all: Love.
Are you saved or lost? If you are
saved, why did Christ save you from being lost? Be found for your
sanctification in purpose, activation in works, verification in fruits,
edification in growth and dedication in growth.
Fourthly, we are saved for
Edification in growth. Several passages say we are a building for God, an
edification. I remember a comedian once asked, “Why do we call a building a
building, when it is already built?” We are edification in process and we should
have progress! But some believers are lost in growing in the grace that saved
us.
Fifthly, we are saved for Dedication
in discipleship. Disciplines like daily “quiet times” (times of devotion alone
before God for prayer, meditation, Bible reading and worship) develop the inner
spiritual person. Jesus said if we are to be His disciples, we are to deny or “dedicate”
ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him.
Are you saved or lost? If you are
saved, why did Christ save you from being lost? Be found for your
sanctification in purpose, activation in works, verification in fruits, edification
in growth and dedication in growth.
