So Great a Salvation
-
So Great a Salvation
It happenedÂ….
The world was turned upside down. What was once glorious became corrupted. What was once pure and perfect became polluted. Sin entered the picture and everyone [and that includes you and me] and everything got the Disease called Sin, destroying all the fun.
And then.....
Since then everything was never the same again. Heavenly bodies collide. Animals grow extra limbs. Siamese twins born. Mighty earth shakes. Sea waters can now rise sky high and plunge angry down to earth. Magic Johnson got Aids. My friend got cancer and I got gastritis. And thatÂ’s not even half of the effects of sin. [you could add to the listÂ….point is: everything in the physical plane was messed up because of it].
What’s worse is that your soul and spirit is now capable of separating from your body. That’s just a nice way of saying: “YOU WILL DIE.” In fact the process of death is working in you now as it is working in me. The time we started dying began on the day we were born. Every time you see a funeral, every time you see a cold coffin, you know that you are looking into the future.
Worst of allÂ….
I could afford and bear to suffer the physical effects of sin. I could afford to lose a limb. I could even bear having a terminal disease [though I’m scared of it], but one thing I could not take is the eternal effects of it [sin] to my soul with regards to my eternal relationship with God. Sin ETERNALLY separates us from God. “I could afford to lose all except God!!!" BUT this is the consequence of sin. A great divide was created between us and God……….and I just can’t take it……, but that’s the truth.
Then came so great a SalvationÂ…
What is salvation?
Well, first of all it presupposes a dangerous predicament that a person is in. Spiritually speaking, it refers to the eternal damnation that is about to fall on every soul that has sinned. Biblically speaking, ‘salvation’ comes from a Greek word ‘soteria’. In the Bible ‘soteria’ was used both in a physical and spiritual sense. But the common meaning is that ‘soteria’ denotes deliverance from harm or danger [whether physical or spiritual].
Sin brings judgment[punishment] from a holy God. You have sinned and as a consequence the righteous judgment of God hangs over your head ready to be unleashed when you have passed from time to eternity. You, therefore, are in danger. Eternal harm awaits your soul when the lights will be turned off on you. You need to be delivered from that harm. You need to be delivered from sinÂ’s penalty.
Aside from the harm and danger of judgment, sin also brings a harmful enslavement to it. You just canÂ’t help it but sin. Bondage to lust, pride, greed, cupidity, avarice, hatred, vices and etc. are just some of the harmful and sinful grips that hold people like you and me. You need to be delivered from the enslaving power of sin.
Lastly, the presence of sin in us is harmful in itself. The sinner not only needs to be delivered from sinÂ’s penalty and power, he also needs deliverance from its very presence. ItÂ’s the ultimate reason why our bodies decay and deteriorate.
In summary, salvation is being delivered from the penalty, power and presence of sin.
Where can we find so great a salvation?
Where else but in the Savior. Christ Jesus came into the world to SAVE sinners from their sins. He died on the cross for you and me and resurrected again that if you trust in His finished work on the cross you will be saved. Salvation is yours if you repent and trust in Christ Jesus, itÂ’s yours when you rest your salvation completely on what He did in Calvary.
God wants you to be saved NOW, not later when youÂ’re breathing close to eternity. He wants you to repent NOW and rely on Christ alone for salvation NOW.
“…………Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” [2 Corinthians 6:2c]
Â…Â…, so why not do it [repent and trust in Christ alone for salvation] NOW. What have you got to lose? -
Your last line sounds like some late night tv commerical.Originally posted by Ironside:Â…Â…, so why not do it [repent and trust in Christ alone for salvation] NOW. What have you got to lose?
-
You can that salvation??? I call that a Damnation...
-
indeed you r right absolutely. The Bible says those who do not believe are condemned ALREADY.Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:You can that salvation??? I call that a Damnation... -
Question is not believeing, the question is whether does every human have a soul?Originally posted by NT2:indeed you r right absolutely. The Bible says those who do not believe are condemned ALREADY. -
See what I mean by pseudochoice? You give only 2 options, one of which is totally non-viable (eternal damnation).Originally posted by NT2:indeed you r right absolutely. The Bible says those who do not believe are condemned ALREADY.
Not really a choice is there?
There's no arguing over who is right and who is wrong. We'll all know when we draw our last breath.
Some christians who do all the bad stuff in life ends up in heaven. What is the logic in that? To be frank, I would rather be damned eternally than to be grouped with such irrational selection. -
At least when you are damned eternally .. you find like-minded people.Originally posted by kaister:Some christians who do all the bad stuff in life ends up in heaven. What is the logic in that? To be frank, I would rather be damned eternally than to be grouped with such irrational selection.
when you are down there and you can't find Hitler .. something is wrong liao.
maybe he really converted before he died.
-
well .. imagine you going to drown .. you got no choice also.Originally posted by kaister:See what I mean by pseudochoice? You give only 2 options, one of which is totally non-viable (eternal damnation).
I'm reminded of the infamous chinese dialogue in movies and dramas:
you have 3 choices.
1st is this.
2nd is also this.
3rd is either of the above. -
I imagine you're heading where I'm heading?Originally posted by Icemoon:At least when you are damned eternally .. you find like-minded people.
when you are down there and you can't find Hitler .. something is wrong liao.
maybe he really converted before he died.
I also expect to see all the non-christian lawyers where I'm going.
(ya I know this is an old joke) -
Originally posted by kaister:I imagine you're heading where I'm heading?
-
So you're a christian or not?Originally posted by Icemoon:
Yes = heaven
No = wherever I'm heading -
this truth is too hard for me to swallow.Originally posted by kaister:So you're a christian or not?
Yes = heaven
No = wherever I'm heading
I hope where you are heading has a wormhole .. so we get transported to a parallel universe. -
It's alright... maybe just before we die, we can just convert or something to hitch a ride on the train to heaven!Originally posted by Icemoon:this truth is too hard for me to swallow.
I hope where you are heading has a wormhole .. so we get transported to a parallel universe.
Save all the hassles and get all the benefits. -
what an idea huh.Originally posted by kaister:It's alright... maybe just before we die, we can just convert or something to hitch a ride on the train to heaven!
Save all the hassles and get all the benefits.
but I suggest you go read up on the bible first.
wait in heaven they test you on biblical knowledge and realized you couldn't answer a shhit. Then they ask everyone whether they have seen you in church before. -
wad if when u, a christian, die and u suddenly ended up in hades and hades himself welcomes u to eternal dammation instead?
while up there.. ZOMG. ZEUS!!! -
I'm sure I'm not the only one. There're plenty of christians who don't know their stuff...Originally posted by Icemoon:what an idea huh.
but I suggest you go read up on the bible first.
wait in heaven they test you on biblical knowledge and realized you couldn't answer a shhit. Then they ask everyone whether they have seen you in church before.
I'm sure I can blend right in. Oh-right! -
Nvm, I'll go ask for help from Hera, Zeus' wife. He's afraid of her...Originally posted by Ito_^:wad if when u, a christian, die and u suddenly ended up in hades and hades himself welcomes u to eternal dammation instead?
while up there.. ZOMG. ZEUS!!! -
LOL. The old henpeck joke.Originally posted by kaister:Nvm, I'll go ask for help from Hera, Zeus' wife. He's afraid of her...