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Salvation Plan

Salvation

The Hard Way or The Easy Way?

By: Abp. Leslie “Mary Trombly

Copyright(c) 2005

Dear Friends;

I come to you with a message of great urgency and importance. It is so important to everyone that your very lives and souls depend upon the message that you are about to receive. It concerns your life now and your eternal life which is yet to come.

Although you may be attending church or have attended church, I ask you this: Have y ou ever heard the message of Salvation? If so what have you done with it in your life ? If you have not, then dear friend, you are about to hear it now.

If you are like me and some of you probably are, you learn things the hard way, while others seen to learn it quite easily. We have to be knocked down several times or hit the”pits” before our pride will let us ask for help or we learn what it is we are supposed to learn. For the hard-heads, it takes a two-by-four to knock some sense into their heads. Such as is the case for Salvation.

Salvation is a one-way street and there is only one way you can have it. That is by the way of the Cross and the tremendous price paid for sin through the holy blood of the sacrificial lamb, Jesus Christ and the great love of God. Yet many chose to wait until tragedy strikes or they are on their death beds before coming to the Lord and receiving Salvation. Many die in accidents or by their own actions or the actions of others thinking they have all the time in the world to “Get saved”. All to often they pass it up altogether only to find themselves in a place from which there is no redemption or salvation offered any longer. This breaks the hearts of God and His son, Jesus, as well as, the hearts of those who who tried desperately to guide the to Christ.

If any of you are like me, I have learned that the easy way is the less painful way. The painful lessons that come from ignoring God and his tugging at your heart, can be painful and more often than not, a real eye-opener. Salvation doesn't come easy for some of us, because of pride and the attitude of “I don't need anyone, I can do it myself”. The one excuse I really love for not accepting the gift of Salvation is “Once your dead, your dead!” WRONG! Once you are dead you either go to hell or go to heaven, depending on the choice you have made. Your body may die; but your soul goes on forever and forever is a very, very long time.

In John 3: 1-6 , Jesus is talking to Nicodemus about rebirth. Nicodemus not quite understanding that Jesus was referring to the rebirth of the Spirit and Soul asked Jesus, how it was possible for an old man to re-enter his mother's womb. Whereupon Jesus replied,” Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

We are born with dead spirits until we make the choice that will cause it's re-birth. We go around with empty souls doing what we were taught to do, living up to what was expected of us or we have some immoral act heaped upon us or a tragedy hits us and we harbor bitterness. Any excuse to explain away our behavior that is either criminal or non-criminal and avoid facing the truth that gives hope. The excuses I hear most often are: (1) I don't believe there is a God, (2) I have plenty of time, (3) God is to blame for all this misery, why should I believe in a God like that? My all time favorite is this one: “Once you are dead, you're dead!”

How wrong this perception is. Your body is just a house that you dwell in like the body you have dwells in a house for shelter, so it is with your soul. Your soul is who you are and it goes on forever and never dies. Depending on the choice you have made you either end up in heaven or in hell.

We are born in sin and unless we make the choice for Salvation we are hell-bound. One of Satan's favorite sayings is “born in sin, come on in. You are welcomed here. This master of illusion will show you things that would make your mouth water and want to choose him. The truth of the matter that is just a”screen saver” and what lies in hell is eternal torment, the Lake of Fire and the worst torment of all is never knowing or having the love of God again and that is forever.

Romans 6:23 reminds us that “the wages of sin is death; but the Gift of God is eternal life.,through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” When we look at John 3:16-17 it tells us how God accomplished this. Jesus told his disciples and those that followed him, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Salvation and what does it means to you:

I. Salvation: What is it?

The dictionary defines it as the act of saving or protection from harm, risk or loss. It is the state of being saved or protected from things that are dangerous or can cause a great deal of harm. The definition goes on to say that a source, cause or means of being saved from harm or risk or danger. Deliverance from the power and penalty of sin; Redemption.

That is exactly what Jesus did when he died on the cross on the Hill of Golgotha over two thousand years ago. He died and paid the ultimate price for your sins and my sins and the sins of mankind. He offered up His very life and His blood so we could live and receive eternal life and be cleansed of our sins. He Paid The Ultimate Price for us all! In doing so he gave us a free gift, which he offers to everyone; the "Gift of Life"called Salvation. It is a gift for everyone, no one is excluded from accepting this gift. You have the choice to

(A) Accept His gift or

(b) To reject it. If you reject it, you will pay dearly for the consequences of that decision until you:

(1) Finally accept "His Gift of Life" or

(2) Die still rejecting it. One will get you heaven while the other gets you hell. In 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2 verses 13 and 14, it says: "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth; Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

He has chosen all of us for salvation, not just Mary or Joe or Suzanne or Patrick and not Harold, Peter or Jeremy or Joan or Lisa; but everyone. Logically speaking, if we are all created in His image, then He has chosen all of us for Salvation. His "Gift of Life" (Salvation) is His gift to you and all you have to do is accept it. One thing God will not do and that is to go where He is not invited - just the opposite to what Satandoes. Satan intrudes on all of us...and comes uninvited into our lives and causes havoc, mayhem and destruction. Let us not forget that Satan also is a deceiver and can come out as an angel of light, when in reality, he is the angel of death and destruction and all that is evil. Salvation is the choice to chose life over death for all eternity.

II Salvation: My definition.

My definition of Salvation is this:

S - Saved by the blood of the Lamb. (I Peter 1:19; I John 1:7; Revelation 1:5 and 9; 12:11)

A - Accepting God's "Gift of Life". (Romans 3:23; 6:23)

L - Living Water, drinking from the Fountain of Living water.(Revelation 7:17)

V - Value: You are of more value to God than many sparrows. (Mathew 10:31)

A - Acknowledging the truth as given by God in His Word.(2 Timothy; 2:25;Titus 1:1)

T - Knowing the truth and being set free. (John 8:32)

I - Instruction. Receive instruction in God so that you might grow in God's light and Love. (Proverbs 23:12)

O - Observe all things so that you can determine that which is of God and that which is not. (Matthew 28:20)

N - Name: God's name will be in our foreheads once we have received His "Gift of Life". (Revelation 14:1) And your name shall be in the "Lambs Book of Life" (Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3)

These is the only keys you will ever get to allow you into heaven and they are as follows:

(1) Pray the Sinner's Prayer and ask God to forgive you and to come into your heart and life.

(2) You must be born again and of water and of spirit to enter the Kingdom of God. (John 3:3-8)

(3) You must believe with all your heart and soul that Jesus was the son of God, that He came to earth in human form, that He died and paid the ultimate price for the sins of mankind, that he rose again on the third day and ascended unto the Father, which is in heaven.

(4) That you know the Truth and speak the truth of God to all you meet. Be A witness unto man for God. If you the Lord Jesus Christ before others, He will acknowledge you before His father, which is in heaven; but if you deny Him before others, he will deny you also before His father.(Matthew 10:33)

These are the 4 most important keys you must have to have eternal life.

III. Salvation: How Can I Know I'm Saved?

It would be a terrible thing for children,or adults,to wonder how the fit in their families. When I was growing up, I never really knew if my adopted father would be in a good mood or a bad mood. The uneasiness in my young soul often was troublesome.

And while that is terrible in an earthly family, it is even more unsettling in the spiritual family. Many Christians live with the thought that they are just not sure how God sees them. Is He in a good mood or a judgmental mood? Are they in the family, or has their Father decided He has had enough? What a horrible way to live! How incredibly sad for children of the King to live as beggars! I surely am not being critical. I find it heartbreaking for people whose sin debt has been paid in full to squirm under the uncertainty of whether they belong in the family of God.

Let's look at some basic reasons people tend to doubt their salvation:

(1) Sin in their lives. Sin brings a feeling of estrangement from God, a feeling of isolation. In John's first epistle, he warns Christians to take close inventory of their salvation if they continue in sin and do so merrily and often and long: "No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him" (1John 3:9). In other words, if sin is the constant bent of your life, you should wonder about your salvation. On the other hand, if you sin and feel perfectly miserable, this is really an indication that you belong to Him. The non-Christian can sin all day long and not sense any isolation from God; only His children experience a lack of harmony with their Father. But sin in the life damages faith and could make someone doubt his salvation.

(2) False teaching. This false teaching is primarily in two camps. The first camp includes liberal pastors who do not hold to the view that all the Bible is the Word of God. They discount certain parts, verses, and authors. How is a person to know 1 John 5:13 is even in the Book to stand on it? Or John 3:16 for that matter? False teaching that deletes portions of the Word of God leads to doubts of salvation; the other camp includes teacherswho believe the Word of God from cover to cover but overemphasize performance. I have been criticized for emphasizing grace so strongly. But I was raised in a legalistic church where performance was stressed. I was also taught that my salvation depended on my works. I was saved at twelve, but many times I was afraid that I hadn't worked hard enough or long enough to keep my salvation. How does someone know when he/she has worked enough? What is the standard?

(3) An overemphasis on emotions. There are those who place a lot of importance on "feel good" religion. I am all for joy in the Christian life. But when the entire Christian life is based on emotions rather than doctrine, assurance is rare. Heartaches will come. Financial setbacks come. Sorrow comes. Disappointments come.Doubt multiplies. We can't live on feelings. We don't live on feelings in the world-for instance, when the alarm clock rings.When we sit in the dentist chair and hear the whirl of the drill, we are not thrilled. We do not send a check to the IRS because it makes us deliriously happy. Why do we think the Christian life is always going to feel euphoric?

(4) Failure to take God at His Word. Follow this logic. Pastor asks, "Do you believe Acts 16:31 that whoever believes in the Lord Jesus shall be saved?" Parishioner: "Well, yes. But I don't know if I am." Pastor: "Did you believe on His name?" Parishioner: "Yes, but I don't know if it worked." Pastor: "Why do you insist on calling God a liar?" Red-faced parishioner: "I would never call God a liar." Pastor: "Did He or did He not say, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved'?" Parishioner: "He said it. I know He said it. I just don't know if I'm saved."

You see, there is very little logic. If I came up to you and said, "I am very happy you're reading this book," and you responded, "Oh, I don't really believe you mean that!" you are doubting my sincerity. That is exactly what we are doing when we doubt what God has said. We are doubting His trustworthiness. Sometimes I meet people and they say, "Well, I used to be saved." I will ask, "How's you get lost?" They name something they've done or thought. But John wrote, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). If we take Him at His Word, and if He is indeed trustworthy, we won't wonder if we were bad enough to lose it. Or good enough to keep it, for that matter.

(5) Satanic attacks. Satan will be happy to whisper, "Look at you. Look how you're acting. A Christian doesn't act like that." Not only will Satan whisper that, but he often uses others as his unsuspecting agents. A mother scolds her child, "A Christian girl wouldn't behave like that." What conclusion is the little girl supposed to reach? And the mother can't understand why her daughter doesn't have assurance of her salvation. Satan is the accuser of the brethren. We need the Word of God to answer him.

There are, however, some truths God wants us to understand to counter the enemies of assurance.

(A) We understand God's will for our salvation. In referring to God, 1 Timothy 2:4 states, "[God] desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." God's desire is for us to be saved, not for us to be condemned. Peter tells us that He is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). He is standing with open arms, just like the father of the prodigal son, to welcome us into His family.

(B) We understand the provision God has made for our salvation. He has done everything possible to get us saved. He gave "His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28). He "Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness" (1 Peter 2:24). He paid the price for salvation, and it would be totally illogical to think, after He paid such a high price,the shedding of blood,that salvation is capricious. He died in our place so we should know we belong to Him.

What earthly father would provide everything his child needs,only for the child to wonder, "Are you sure you wanted me to have it, Daddy?" Of course, that is what the daddy wants. He is grieved that his child is so insecure in his love. Our heavenly Father is the same way. He has provided everything we need for salvation. We have a responsibility. Jesus did not die, rise again, ascend, and thus automatically save us. The Bible doesn't teach universal salvation,that is, that all people by virtue of the fact they're created are Christians. John says, "But as many as received Him, to them, He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name" (1:12). And John further says, "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life" (3:36). A verse in John 5 summarizes the issue: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life" (v. 24).

We need to believe in Christ and receive Him as our very own. There must be a definite decision. You may not remember the definite time,such as the very date and minute,but you know that you received Christ and have passed from death to life. If you are still struggling with assurance, apply these three tests:

(1) Do I believe the Word of God? God said it; I believe it; that settles it.

(2) Do I have the witness of the Holy Spirit? Read 1 John 5:6, "And it is the Spirit who bears witness,

because the Spirit is truth." It is conviction, not feeling. "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:16).

(3) Do I have the walk of the believer? Are you different? Do you have a deep desire to please the Lord Jesus? "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17). You will sin from time to time, but the Holy Spirit convicts you. The unsaved person feels guilt when he sins, but he can harden his heart so that eventually his conscience doesn't speak anymore.

Those who were saved very young often need to reaffirm or make sure of their salvation when they are in their teens. This does not insult God. Teens go through a long process of making sure they are making their own choices and not resting on their parents' decisions for them. They may need to resettle the issue. Don't be alarmed. Many who were saved at a young age have never doubted their salvation. People are different, and God deals with us where we are.

As I have said, I was saved at the age of twelve. I remember where I was sitting in the church. A woman was preaching, and I went forward and accepted Christ. So much emphasis was subsequently placed on performance, I wondered if I was still saved. But as I would get down beside my bed to pray, I would say, "God, I know I'm not doing everything right. But something inside me says I'm not lost." I didn't know that was the witness of the Holy Spirit in my young heart. But He was there, assuring me that I belonged to the Lord Jesus Christ. There was no ethereal feeling. I had a blessed assurance.

Based on His wonderful Word, all of it, we can know that we have eternal life. It has nothing to do with feeling. But it has everything to do with the trustworthiness of God. He wants us saved. He has done everything possible through Christ to make that happen. Once we receive Him as our own, we can rest on the Word of God and in the witness of the Spirit. Once you're in the family of God, by faith in His Son, your name is written in the Book of Life.

When I was a "New Christian" and learning what God was all about; I used to get angry at Him when things went wrong and my prayers seemed to go unanswered. I thought God had no concept of understanding how His own creations/children felt or what they had to deal with on this earth. I would question His judgment, I would question His logic and I would question everything He did. I couldn't understand how God could sit up in heaven on His throne and having no idea how we really felt here on earth or what we were dealing with. I was an angry person and a rebellious person. I trusted no one...and I didn't even trust Him completely - .then. I was so angry at him I would raise my fist to heaven at Him, but in His love He never got angry at me.

My reasoning was that since no one cared about me or loved me, why should He? All I had ever known was physical and emotional pain and why should God be any different? But God was patient and over time He taught me love and He made me understand that He really understood us and what we go thru in this life -- Good, Bad or indifferent. He Does Know and He does understand. It was a long road and a hard road, but I learned and grew to trust and understand Him and know He understands me as He understands each and everyone of us. I also learned that it was alright to question God when you do not understand things yourself or understand why he answers your prayers the way He does. It is ok to question Him when He does something in your life that you do not understand. In doing this you begin to understand how God is working in your life and your trust and your relationship grows and matures as well, there are no more questions - only understanding.

The first thing God taught me about how He understands us.is that He has the same emotional feelings we do and We Are Made In His Image. Secondly, He sent His son to not only die for us, and to seek and save that which is lost; but He sent him to live in this world so He would understand as well. Jesus walked the earth as a man, and He understood as a man; yet He was the Son of God and understood the things of His Father and His kingdom very well. He had full knowledge of all matters concerning heaven and earth even to the smallest of the seedlings.

The second thing He taught me was that without Salvation, I would be forever lost to Him and there was little He could do. I had to make that choice. No one else could; not even God, Himself could make that decision for me. It had to be done freely and of my own will and accord. Where Satan intrudes and comes uninvited, the Lord does not. He waits on the "sidelines" for you to come to Him by accepting His "Gift of Life", known as Salvation. The greatest thing about it is when you do make that decision - You can come "as you are" sin and all. You can not use the excuse that you have to "clean up your act" before coming to Him for Salvation and Redemption, because He will accept you just as you are. He understands and knows that we are born into a sinful world and that we all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. He will not reject You. The only rejection you will ever have is if you chose to rejectGod and His "Gift of Life" Won't you consider Salvation Today? If you do, you can pray this

"Sinner's Prayer":

"Our Father in heaven, I know that I am a sinner and I know that the penalty of sin is death. not only in this world, but in the next as well. I come before you to seek salvation and to confess my sins before you and before mankind. Forgive me, my Father, for all my sins. wash me as white as snow. Baptized me in the water and in the Holy Spirit. Make me one of your children, Lord; for this is my heartfelt prayer. Enter my name into your book of life, so that I may dwell with you forever. Be my teacher and guide; for it is now that I completely surrender all that I am and all that I have and all that you wish me to be, completely to you. I acknowledge that you are the Lord and savior of this world. I acknowledge that you took upon yourself and bore the sins of the world. I acknowledge that you were the great sacrifice for the sins of all mankind and that price was paid at calvary. I further acknowledge that my sins are paid for in full by your sacrifice and that with my true repentance comes the gift of eternal life. Father, save me now! make me whole and a permanent part of your family, forever! amen"

If you have become a "new christian" with this prayer, seek out a truly Godly church and be nourished by the Word of God. Buy a bible and read it daily. pray without ceasing. Let God direct your path and let Him do your thinking for you. Seek guidance for your growth in the christian walk. Be sure the guidance you seek is with one that the Lord directs your feet to. There are many false prophets out there and they use the Word of God and the Lord to deceive you. Let the Lord direct your path.

Remember what Jesus has taught and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.

IV. Salvation: What it means to you.

What Salvation means to you is this:

1)All Your sins have been forgiven.

(2)You have accepted the "Gift of Life" God has offered you.

(3)You have God's Promise of eternal Life, unless you turn your back on Him.

(4)Your Name is now in the "Lamb's Book of Life".

(5)You must fulfill the rest of your commitment and be Baptized by Water and Spirit. (John 3:3-8)

(6)You will become a new Creation in Him.

(7)You will, in time become a Witness to God's Glory.

(8)You are now a Child in the Kingdom of God.

(9)You will come to know God's Love and how unconditional it is.

(10)You will develop within yourself and urgency to avoid sin at all costs.

(11)You are no longer condemned to eternal damnation (hell), but to life everlasting.

(12)God will plant the fire of the Holy Spirit within you that cannot be extinguished or subdued.

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