“When His disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying- ‘Who then can be saved’?” (Matt. 19:25)

That is not the typical question one might ask after listening to some polished TV evangelist lead people in a ‘prayer to be saved’ these days on their broadcast, is it not?

Yes...I waded in to ‘that topic’ yesterday regarding this idea of getting ‘saved’. We believers are easily preoccupied with debating that subject while offering up all our theological formulas on what it means to be saved, how to get saved, stay saved, and how we cannot be ‘unsaved’. Meanwhile...Jesus had more to say about following Him and abiding in Him and continuing in...the faith. But what would He know? He was too busy ‘casting out unclean spirits’ from tormented people when He of all folks should have known they were merely struggling with emotional and mental disorders, and with proper therapy and medication, these folks could learn to cope with their issues and live reasonably normal lives. But...I digress.

So while many sincere believers fill those church pews faithfully every single Sunday, happy to testify how they were ‘saved’ when they were ten years old (or 20 or 30 etc), many continue to live their lives still struggling and bound by various sin issues. Sin issues, I might add...they’ve been told they can never be totally free from until they get to heaven. Why is that? Well, they are human of course with a human, sin-filled flesh nature’. But not to worry because God’s love and mercy and grace overlooks all that...and we are ‘not perfect, just forgiven’. Sound familiar?

And the question I continue to circle back and continue to ask and make the case for is not ‘are we saved’, but rather...’are we abiding in Christ’? I would hope we ‘believers’ could all agree on this one statement...that IF...we are truly abiding in Him, then we are in a ‘good place’ as in ‘saved’. And IF...we are abiding in Him...then you need not worry about ‘missing the rapture’, whenever that occurs.

I believe the Bible makes the case that IF...one remains bound by sin, which is what one who continues to sin is: bound, or a ‘slave’, according to Jesus (John 8:34), then they are not truly abiding in Him. Because where the ‘Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom’. (2 Cor. 3:17)

IF you are abiding in Him, then you ‘know the truth and the truth has set you free’. (John 8:32,36)

IF...you are abiding in Him, then you ought to be walking just as He walked. (1 John 2:6) IF...you are abiding in Him, then you no longer continue to practice sin. (1 John 3:6)

IF...you are abiding in Him, you no longer will fulfill the lusts of the sinful flesh nature. (Gal. 5:16)

The reason being is: you are being led by His Spirit to put that sinful nature to death, showing yourself to be a true child of God who belongs to Him. (Rom. 8:13-14; Gal. 5:24; 1 John 3:9-10)

IF...you are abiding in Him, then you are bearing ‘much fruit’, showing yourself to being one of His disciples. (John 15:5,8). He also tells us in that passage that if we are not abiding in Him, then no fruit can even be produced. (4). And we know why fruit is important, yes? “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and...(well, you know). (Matt. 3:10; 7:19; Luke 13:6-9; John 15:6)

If you actually took those verses to heart...maybe even looking them up and reading them aloud, you might come to the conclusion that...just maybe you have not really been ‘abiding in Jesus’.

But you are still ‘saved’, of course. How dare anyone suggest otherwise?!

And yet, to hear Jesus explain it...the natural mind begins to backpedal and ask questions like “can anyone be saved?”, or ‘how can these things be?” (Matt. 19:25;John 3:9; Luke 1:34).

To which Jesus responds...’Yeah well...with men this is impossible but with God all things are possible.” (Matt. 19:26)

So while we get hung up in debating all the ins and outs as to how one might ‘be saved’, maybe we need to review as to what we are being ‘saved’ from.

Jesus was kind enough to remind us that He did not come into the world to condemn us, rather through Him we might be ‘saved’. (John 3:17). And not to make anyone feel bad here, but He did point out in the next verse that we were ‘already condemned’. (18). The reason being, we had ‘all sinned and broke God’s laws’, which is what ‘sin’ is....it’s breaking God’s laws. (1 John 3:4). And because we had all sinned (Rom. 3:23), the wrath of God was already on us. (John 3:36). That is not a good thing to have on us by any stretch of the imagination.

But the good news here is, Jesus came to ‘save us’ from...the wrath of God’. (Rom. 5:9). Can you read that again, aloud this time? He came to ‘save us’ from...the wrath of God.

And why is the wrath of God still around? Well, because God’s law still stands today. It was never done away with, according to Jesus. (Matt. 5:17) Which means if you continue to break God’s laws, then you can expect to encounter His wrath. Did Jesus not tell that man He healed to ‘go and sin no more or something worse might come upon you?” (John 5:14)

Did Paul not say “Let no one deceive you with empty words for because of such things the wrath of God comes”? (Eph. 5:6)

Do you know why Paul said ‘let no one deceive you with empty words’? Because he knew that many people would be deceived and led astray by doctrines taught by demons (1 Tim. 4:1); sort of like what happened to Eve who was told by the serpent: “Oh, you can still eat off this tree that God said not to eat off of an you surely will not die.” (Gen. 3:4; 2 Cor. 11:2-4)

Did Jesus not remind us in Matt. 24 to ‘take heed that no one deceive you’? (4) Do you think it’s possible He may have been referring to what people would hear at some point in time as to how they might ‘become saved’?

Sort of like...”Hey...say this prayer, and confess you believe this and then you will be saved. Now you will continue to sin and break God’s laws because you are human and nobody is perfect but no need to worry...you now have this guaranteed golden ticket and are immune to God’s wrath and punishment because you said this prayer and believe in your heart that Jesus is the Son of God who was raised from the dead.”

Would that be sort of like getting this laminated card that you wave at a police officer every time you get pulled over for speeding or running red lights, and then inform him that your dad is the ‘judge’. So all you have to do is say you are sorry and try to slow down and do better and stop at red lights, but you know in your heart you will continue to run them...but maybe just not as much? Oh, and they can’t write you tickets anymore to punish you because...well, you know...your dad is the judge who loves you.

What is wrong with that picture?

Consider this alternative to what it means to be ‘saved’...(from the wrath of God).

The reason you were always breaking God’s law was because of your old sinful nature and your carnal mind/nature was not about to submit to God’s perfect law (love) so you could never please God. (Rom 8:7-8).

But the way Jesus came to ‘save’ us was by giving us a new nature (one like His-Rom. 8:29) so that we would not sin anymore. We would become this ‘new creation’ (2 Cor. 5:17) and actually be empowered by His grace to ‘walk just as He walked’. (1 John 2:6; Eph.2:8; Phil. 4:13). But in order for this ‘new creation’ to take root, we would have to ‘decrease’ first. (John 3:30). Which is what the Spirit begins to do...lead us to put to death this sin nature. (Rom. 8:13) Oh, and there will be the issue of this ‘old sin nature suffering’ some as we put it to death. But He’s going to be right there to give you grace and mercy in your time of suffering as He knows what this can be like. (Heb.2:18; 4:15-16). And as you put this old nature to death and suffer, you will then find that you have ‘ceased from sin’ so that you can now live for the will of God. (1 Pet. 4:1-2).

And why is that important? Because Jesus said “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven”. (Matt. 7:21). I believe Paul also echoes something similar in Gal. 5:21. Oh, and do you want to know what deceived people will hear after they try to explain to God what all good they did when they were busy in church? “Depart from me...you who continued to practice sin.” (Matt. 7:22-23)

May I ask you this?: Does a ‘saved’ person continue to practice sin? (Rom. 6:1-2) Maybe there is just something more to this ‘abiding’ thing than it being a nice shiny option for ‘super-saints’, you think? Can I just tell you what I have come to learn and experience for myself? This walk of faith is much easier when I’m abiding in Him...than when I was trying to do it on my own. And He did say...His ‘yoke was easy’. (Matt. 11:28-30). You just have to come to Him ...first – with all your heart.