Salvation; who needs it. Come to find out, we ALL do!

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” Hebrews 4:7

From yesterday:

When Peter made his great statement in Acts 4:12, he gave us a unique definition of salvation from God’s perspective,

¹² Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

There are several questions that arise from this verse.

1. Must a person be saved?
2. From what is he lost?
3. Is he not capable of saving himself?
4. Why Jesus’ name?
5. What makes His name special?
6. Everyone?
7. What is required?
8. What shall we gain/avoid?

We found that the answer to question #1 is, Yes, we all need to be saved–but, from what or whom? That is the question we will answer today.

The “what” is pretty simple. The answer is “sin.” What is sin? It is disobedience. Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden by disobeying God’s command to not eat of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Have you ever wondered why God would make such a command? To test them? I don’t think so. I believe that the tree was meant for later. They were still very young spiritually when they sinned, and then sin became a drug, which led to addiction for us all. Let’s read about it:

³ At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved [addicted] by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. Titus 3:3

We must admit that we are ruled by our passions. How we feel dictates what we say and do, and even think! Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Jesus picks up where we got off-track in the Garden. He gives us the desire and the power to do His will, which is to allow the Spirit to guide us rather than being guided by how we feel. I call it “the higher desire.” Robin calls it, “the want-to to want to.”

There is also someone to whom we are enslaved. That would be Satan,

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh [feelings] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. Ephesians 2:1-3

Jesus came to break the hold that Satan had on us, which is death and the fear of it,

¹⁴ Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— ¹⁵ and free those who all their lives were held in slavery [addiction] by their fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15

One of my favorite passages is 2 Corinthians 5:14-15. It motivates me to live for Christ,

¹⁴ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one [Jesus Christ] died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Jesus conquered death for us and freed us from the fear of it. He comes to live in us and gives us the desire and the power to follow Him and His leadership in our lives. Why wouldn’t we “no longer live for ourselves” and live for Him?

Abba, I am SOOOOOO grateful You rescued me! Thank You for dying for me and then rising from the dead so that I do not have to fear death anymore. You are AWESOME. Amen.