Devotion: Enjoy Your Salvation

Salvation is a subject that is on the minds of many believers and some non-believers, with many wondering just what one must do to obtain salvation.  Depending on one’s religious affiliation, the information for obtaining salvation includes a range of steps that consist of anything from admitting being a sinner in need of a savior to repenting of one’s sin, confessing one’s sins to praying about receiving salvation, and working to earn salvation to performing some type of penance for salvation, just to list a few.  And no, we are not singling out any particular denomination or religious tradition, but the list of steps does appear to be endless.

Scripture tells us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Salvation is a gift and gifts are usually free, without exception.  Salvation is a free gift from God.  Free gifts normally do not come with stipulations or require anything from the recipient except for one thing, the recipient must “accept and receive the free gift.”  You can choose “to accept the free gifts of grace (forgiveness) and righteousness (acquittal) that Jesus provided for us” (Romans 5:15-19), “this gift of salvation” (Romans 10:9-10), which leads “to life everlasting” (John 3:16-17) or you can choose to reject the free gift.  The beauty is, you get to decide if salvation is something that you want or not.  No one else can decide for you, which is the beauty of this choice.

The method that God has instituted “to accept and receive the free gift of salvation” is very clear and very specific.  A person must “confess with his or her mouth, believe in his or her heart that God raised Jesus from the dead in order for that person to be saved” (Romans 10:9-10).  The scriptures go on to say that “it is with the heart that he or she believes unto righteousness and with the mouth that the confession is made unto salvation.”

Are there more things that one has to do “to accept and receive the free gift of salvation?”  The answer is “No,” there is nothing else that one has to do “to accept and receive the free gift of salvation.”  Some believe that prayer or other religious rites or traditional ceremonies must be followed in order for one to receive salvation, but there is nothing scriptural to support such beliefs.  However, once you “accept and receive the free gift of salvation” there are other things that you will desire to do so that you can be all that God designed you to be.  Think of all of this in terms of baking a cake, which usually comes with a recipe that when followed exactly produces a finished and complete product.  We know that one has to start with the very first step in the process and “accepting and receiving the free gift of salvation” is that first step in a process to making one a finished and complete product of God.  And while there are shortcuts that can be taken when following recipes, this is not a recipe where one wants to take shortcuts.  Follow the recipe exactly as God has provided.  “Accepting and receiving the free gift of salvation” is the first step.  Once you complete the first step, learn to “Enjoy Your Salvation.”  Amen.

Salvation is such a controversial yet important topic that everyone has an opinion about.  Regardless of the source, you owe it to yourself to thoroughly examine and check out all information, especially on this particular topic, which includes this message.  Do not simply take our word about anything without verify the message for yourself.  As we continually say, “Words can be manipulated to say many things, just make sure the ones that you accept are those of God and not those of man.”  As always, if this message is a blessing to you, please share it so that others may be blessed by it as well.

Enjoy your blessings - KW