Imagine if you would for a moment that while traveling on a cruise ship that docked in some port for the day down in South America, you are out visiting the countryside and are kidnapped by some gang like the Cartel. Blindfolded and bound, you are whisked off in the back of an old truck and driven for hours deep into the jungles of that country. Days of captivity lead into weeks as you are kept in some crude cage made out of bamboo. You have no idea why or how you ended up in such a place; and any hopes of rescue or being released have diminished. Welcome to your new life.

Then, one evening, late in the darkness of night, you somehow find a way out of that cage. Your captors are sleeping soundly, even the one whose job is to guard you. Quickly and silently you make your way out of the camp that has been your home for months on end. And just to add to the drama of this story, you recall how when you were taken off that truck that first day, a truck that drove for hours on some narrow, dirt road littered with rocks of all sizes, you spent another good 6-8 hours walking through the thick foliage of an unfamiliar, dark, and hostile jungle.

My point here is this: Being ‘released’ from your captors under the dark sky of midnight is one thing. Finding your way out back to civilization (and home) is another thing all together. With no food, water, light, or weapon, the odds of finding your way out of this place alive are stacked against you; I think most would agree with this assessment.

Welcome to the walk of salvation.

Yesterday, I finished up my post citing a passage from the gospel of Luke. It was the prophesy of Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. The Holy Spirit spoke through him declaring what God was about to do through Jesus saying such things like how God “has visited and redeemed His people.” (1:68). And how “we should be saved from our enemies.” (71). He continues on...”To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.” (74-75)

And look at vs.79 where it says that our Redeemer, or rescuer...has come to “give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (79)

While the unlikely scenario I painted here might make for a good Hollywood movie plot where someone of the likes of Chuck Norris or Arnold Schwarzenegger would show up to rescue you from captivity, the truth of the matter is we really were all...held captive by a spiritual foe. And instead of Chuck or Arnold showing up under the canopy of darkness to bring us home, it was indeed, Jesus, the Son of the living God who came to set...the captives free (Luke 4:18). And He too intends to lead us ...’home’. But if you have any inkling of hope in getting home safely, it might be a good idea if you commit your heart to following Him out of this place. I mean, really, what chance do you have on finding your way out alone? (Matt. 24:13; 10:22)

Continuing along with this metaphor that illustrates the salvation Jesus came to bring, let’s not forget your journey out of this hostile 'jungle' is swallowed up in darkness. Do you recall what Jesus had to say about people ‘who walk in darkness’? He said “They do not know where they are going.” (John 12:35). That’s probably why He encouraged those who were following Him to “walk while you have light lest the darkness overtake you.” (35)

Do you recall my post from a few days ago that pointed out just ‘how’ we are ‘cleansed by the blood of Jesus’? (hoping here that most believers would agree that unless we are cleansed by His blood that we stand little chance of entering in to His presence- (Ps. 24:4; Heb. 12:14) We have to ‘walk in the light as He is in the light.” (1 John 1:7)

Or how about those ten virgins we read about in Matt. 25, the ones who were waiting for the return of the bridegroom and they all grew drowsy and ‘fell asleep’. You might recall that it was at ‘midnight’ that they were awoken, and why were the ‘wise virgins’ able to finish getting ready and were granted access into the wedding when the door was opened’? (10). They had ‘oil’ to ‘light their lamps’. (7)

Just prior to Jesus ascending back in to heaven, He handed off His ministry, or mission, to His disciples, teaching them to continue doing what He came to do. (Acts 1:8; John 20:21). Certainly you have read how Jesus gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of diseases. (Matt. 10:1). Are we not disciples of Jesus as well? And can anyone tell me when people stopped being oppressed by the devil or no longer needed to be set free of them, let alone be healed of all kinds of sickness and diseases?

And certainly you are familiar with passages like John 14:12-13; Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:20; 6:7,12 that support this idea that we were to continue 'doing the works of Jesus' until He returns.

But wait...there’s more. God called another religious zealot into service but he had to have a bit of ‘re-wiring’ done first. You know the story of Saul who was busying thinking he was helping God out by killing some of those early believers of Jesus. Yeah, that Saul. Funny how we can be so sincere and zealous in our ‘service for God’ and be so sincerely wrong at the same time. (Rom. 10:2-3). But once God got Saul straightened out, he then became known as ‘Paul’. And God was able to do some rather impressive things in and through this man’s life. But there is one passage I want to draw your attention to here found in Acts 26.

It is where Paul was sharing, once more, his testimony as to how Jesus had saved and delivered him and was now sending him out to preach this gospel to the Gentiles. It was with the hope that those who heard and received this good news that it might “open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” (26:18)

I’m hoping here, that we might just begin to look at what ‘salvation’ really is and how it plays out in our personal lives.

We were at one time, all ‘captives’ to Satan, who controls the whole world. (1 John 5:19; 2 Tim. 2:25-26). And do you know why were in ‘darkness’ and ‘perishing’? It is because the ‘god of this world had blinded our minds from seeing the light of the gospel’. (2 Cor. 4:3-4). Scripture there uses the term of us being ‘veiled’ where we cannot see. But...in the preceding chapter there, Paul reminds us that ‘when anyone turns to the Lord (with all their heart), the veil is taken away.” (2 Cor. 3:16)

And that line from Acts 26:18 that makes mention of us ‘receiving forgiveness of sins’...once again the way we find cleansing is to ‘walk in the light as He (Jesus, our deliverer) is in the light’. (1 John 1:7)

Also, please note from Acts 26:18...who are the ones that receive this ‘inheritance’? Those who are ‘sanctified’ (set apart and made holy) by ‘faith in Jesus’.

Some might take exception with this, but just because you recite a prayer and say you believe Jesus is the Son of God, does not automatically ‘sanctify’ you, or set you apart and make you ‘holy’. This is what begins to happen when we start to follow the Spirit and we ‘put to death all the deeds of the sinful nature’ that defile us. (Rom. 8:13; Mark 7:21-23; Gal. 5:19-21).

And in the same way those Israelites were told they were powerless to overcome the Canaanite nations on that land God had set apart for them, neither you or I have the power to overcome these hostile ‘enemies’ that dwell on our land/heart’. That’s why following our ‘Deliverer’ or ‘Redeemer’ is not an option for ‘super saints’. Those who belong to Jesus, hear His voice and He knows them and they follow Him. (John 10:27). This is what it means to ‘abide in Him’. (John 15:1-8)

I guarantee you, if you were to play yourself in that hypothetical movie plot where you are rescued by good ole Arnie, it would behoove you to follow him closely out of that dark, hostile jungle. You might even hear him say such things like “stay alert and sober minded because your enemy is out there like a roaring lion and wants to devour you...you better give him no place!” (1 Pet. 5:18; Eph. 4:27).

As you continue along this path of escape following close on the heels of your ‘deliverer’, Arnie might also warn you that along this ‘narrow path’, you will face some test and temptations. Just know it is the enemy tempting you to come on to his turf; and the best thing to do would be to ‘resist him’. (James 4:7). Should you choose to no longer follow him, and you feel compelled to ‘go your own way’ (Matt. 22:5) it is unlikely you will fare well. (John 6:66).

For those of you who like the message of ‘eternal security’...I have some good news. Keep following Jesus and you will be saved. (Matt. 24:13; 10:22).

Getting released from that cage back in the jungle was a glorious moment of ‘salvation’. But that was not the end, it was only the beginning. I fear that the great deception that has led many astray today...teaches just the opposite. And God is trying to not only wake us up and warn us, but He is also providing light for us to walk in this path; a path I might remind you that is marked by ‘peace’. (Luke 1:79)