Of course, we all know that when we accept Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah and ask forgiveness of our sins by means of the sacrifice he performed for us, we have found “salvation in Christ”, or another way to put it is that we are “saved”.
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The Internet dictionary defines salvation as “preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss…”, which doesn’t sound like something that we are, but something we end up being.
I often hear people save they are saved, and I wonder if they really know what they are saved from, or if they realize they aren’t really saved…at least, not yet.
Salvation and being saved result in the same condition, but that is not something that we are, it is where we end up.
For instance, let’s say that you are in the desert, and dying of thirst. In the distance, you see an oasis, and you say to yourself, “I am saved!”
But then you die before you can get to the oasis, so were you really saved?
No, of course not- BUT you had the potential to be saved.
Think of a battery- in its normal, unconnected state it doesn’t have any electrical power, but when you connect the terminals, that is when the electricity is created. By itself, the battery has no electricity, but what it does have is called electrical potential.
When we accept Yeshua as our Messiah, and we ask forgiveness by means of his sacrifice, we will be forgiven. At that very moment, we are saved. If we die immediately after asking for forgiveness- assuming our repentance is genuine- we will die in a state of righteousness and be saved. But I am sure, at least I am sure about myself, that the very next time I drive anywhere I will have sinned at least a few times (driving, especially here in Florida, is the ultimate test of a godly use of language- a test I continually fail).
So, what are we saved from? We are saved from the consequence of our sins, which is- simply put- spending eternity out of the presence of God.
Frankly, there are a couple of different versions of what the afterlife is like when you go through the Bible, so I don’t think anyone can say, for certain, what will happen, other than some will be in the presence of the Lord forever, and some won’t.
So, nu? What is my point of all this?
It’s this: Don’t become complacent after you have accepted Yeshua as your Messiah because you are not saved, yet. You are still in the desert, but now you can see that oasis called Salvation, and you know that when you get there you will be saved.
The road to that salvation is difficult, and there are many mirages along the way to cause you to steer away from the real oasis, thinking you are heading for salvation but, in fact, you are heading further away from it.
Those mirages are called “religion”, which has for millennia steered people away from salvation while telling them they are on the right track.
So how do you know which path to walk? God has provided the roadmap and a compass to help you stay on the right path to that oasis; the map is called the Torah and the compass is called the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit.
When you read the map to know which way to go, and then use the compass to make sure you are staying on the proper azimuth (that is the direction you are heading in) that the map tells you to go, you will be utilizing your salvation potential to its fullest, and you will be saved in the end.
There is no such thing as OSAS (once saved, always saved)- that is a religious detour that leads to the wrong place if for no other reason, it will eventually lead to unrepentance. How? Well, when you think you are automatically forgiven, why bother to confess it or ask for forgiveness- you already have it, right? Therefore, OSAS leads, ultimately, to unrepentant sinning, and God will NOT allow an unrepentant sinner into his presence. Guaranteed!
God has given us the way he wants us to walk (Torah) and the compass to guide us (Ruach) so that as we strive towards salvation, we will not lose our way.
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By the way, did you know I have written 4 books? You can find them on my website, and they are available in paperback and Kindle formats.
That’s it for today, so l’hitraot and Baruch HaShem!
