The Roadmap to Salvation

Understanding directions is quite a blessing, and not having it, can be a frustrating thing. To help we've read the stars to help navigate, compasses to lead us, and of course conventional maps so that our drive to Nashville doesn't end up in New York. Modern man has always had his maps, and with each generation the capabilities seem to grow. We can figure the trajectory from one place on earth to another place on the moon, so certainly we can do the work to get to heaven and be in the presence of God. Right?  

But how do you navigate from natural to spiritual, from imperfect to perfect, from common to holy? There must be a recipe for getting to heaven---the use of ingredients that will render us acceptable to God now and hereafter. There must be a 'GPS'. "Be holy for I am holy." (Leviticus 11:44-45)  That is quite a tall order! Yet it is a constant from the Hebrew Bible, and the New Testament. Some would diminish, marginalize, or even delete the holiness piece, such as to make the presence of God more attainable, more 'politically correct,’ perhaps even to let the love and kindness of God excuse us from being necessarily 'holy.’  But then would God continue to be just, and if unjust, would not His own holiness be lessened? Hmmn. That won't work. He must then make a way-- for the way that He requires of us-- that we draw near in time and in eternity. The way made is a choice, made freely.

The message of the gospel is the answer. Jesus paid it all! To believe the following is to be saved!  "God sent not His Son into the world, to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:17)   "...I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6)   "...that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation... 'Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.'" (Romans 10:9-11)  To believe this is salvation, bringing the perfect Christ to the imperfect world, Jesus paid it all!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for Your gracious giving, and for baring Your heart on the cross, that my life might begin. I bless You now, and evermore! Amen.
By Dea. McNeal Brockington