Thursday, September 26, 2019

WHY are you saved?



“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.