Salvation, Use it or Loose it!

“Use it or Loose it” is a one of those cliche that means exactly what it states. One researcher used this cliche by pointing out an important reminder about using our brain. He states that if we don’t use our brain, we'll loose it, which means the brain is a part of our body that needs to be maintained and developed.

How about God's Salvation? Does it need maintenance as well? I have encountered and read about people who believe salvation does not need maintenance, that is, they believe once they receive God's salvation, they are A-okay for life. The pharisees in the Book of Matthew is an example. The pharisees were living a life with power over the people. However when John the Baptist saw them coming to watch, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.(Matthew 3:7-10).
John rebuked the pharisees publicly due to their display of arrogance and faulty confidence. He called them “brood of snakes.” No doubt, this is humiliating for the pharisees, who are authority figures. Why did John the Baptism called them snakes? Because the pharisees are being hypocrites- all words but no actions. The pharisees talk about God's commandments and tells their listeners to obey them but they themselves were corrupt and deceitful. The pharisees assumed they were safe because they are children of Abraham but John rebuked them and reminded them that they need to prove by the way they live that they have repented from their sins and turned to God.

This exerpt from the Bible shows saying “I repent” is not enough, repentance is more than words. It needs to be proven through how one lives—exerting effort to live righteously with the fear of Lord and for God’s pleasure. In other words we can not keep a life of sin and still hold onto our salvation. Keep in mind that repentance is much more than stopping the very act of committing the sins that we are asking forgiveness for. Repentance is actually the act of turning away from doing those sins--not committing them anymore and changing our lives in such a way as we no longer want or desire to commit those sins. God gave us the free will to make our own choices. If we decide not to walk in the darkness then we will not loose our salvation and its privelege. It is very important to note that God will not force us to come to Him. He is not going to get down on His knees and beg us to believe Him, trust Him, or accept Him. Nor will He force us to love Him or demand our obedience.

I admit, its hard to live according to God's guidance 24/7. The enemy works so hard for the bad things to be so enticing that it is hard to ignore. It would have been easier if He choose. When I sin and fail to ask for fogiveness and to change my ways, it feels as if I am telling God that my salvation "is not worth the effort". That I do not wish to have His gift of eternal salvation. That I want to make it through this life on my own without any help from Him. That I will follow the ways of the world rather than the ways of my Lord (tsk tsk to me...). Whenever I'm having a difficult time to follow Him, I sing to God the song “Take my Life,” by Third Day, a Christian rock band. The lyrics goes “Please take for me my life when I don’t have the strength to give it away to You…” First time I heard this song was when I was just a new Christian, both excited and overwhelmed with the changes in my life. Walking in the narrow path can be really challenging and difficult. I used to ask God to take my free will and choose for me. I was desperate to turn my ways and the rate I was going, it seemed it will take me an eternity to change.

I don't ask for God to take my free will anymore but I do pray that He take over me. I understand that God chose not to choose for me because He wants me to decide for myself, its more rewarding. I also understand God choosing for me is the easy way. God never takes the easy way! He chose the difficult way for Himself as well. He chose to be humiliated and crucified to prove something and to increase the chance of human kind to be saved and be His. He could have easily made us choose to follow Him all the time but He did not. He desires for us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling...for His will and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12b-13 ).