If Jesus died for our salvation, how do we obtain that salvation?
I respectfully part company with those who say salvation is a simple matter of "accepting" Jesus as Savior. I believe salvation is a gift of God to those who 1) believe from the heart that Jesus is Living God, raised from the dead, and 2) truthfully testify that Jesus is LORD (Romans 10:9-10).
Salvation, I would argue, is a matter of ownership. Jesus died on the cross not that we might merely be delivered from Hell and thereby live as freed men, but that we might be delivered from the stain of sin and live in fellowship with God as His adopted sons and daughters, fellow heirs in the kingdom of Jesus, because we make Him our Lord.
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother … When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
~ John 19:25-27 (NKJV)
The beloved disciple needed no further directions from his Lord. John did not simply set Mary up in an apartment and periodically check in on her, but took her into "his own home" as his own mother. He served from the heart, as a true disciple, doing His Lord's will to the fullest.
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' "
~ Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV)
Paul calls the fifth component of spiritual armor "the helmet of salvation." As a helmet, salvation declares that we are property of the Lord God Almighty. Our minds are protected from fatal attack when we wear obedience to our Lord as our covering. In submission to the King's authority, we are ambassadors of it—with access to all power of Heaven and Earth.
All this is available to us when the enemy attacks.
All this is ours because our beloved Lord died as a ransom to make us His Own.
Thank You, precious Savior, our Lord and our God, our King and our Friend.
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Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Thank You Father.
ReplyDeleteAmen.
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Deletei really appreciate and praise Him plus thank you for the series this week Anne. one question came to mind during this post. i'm assuming that not only did John take Mary into his home but Joseph as well. yes? it's strange but while all this was taking place, Joseph seems to have dropped off the planet.
ReplyDeleteBud, it's unlikely that Joseph was still living by the time of Jesus' ministry. The life span of many men in that time about age forty (particularly those like Joseph, who did more physical labor and were more susceptible to injury). The fact that Jesus is called "the carpenter's son" and "son of Mary" (Matt. 13:55 and Mark 6:3) rather than the "son of Joseph" hints that Joseph had probably been gone for some years by the time of Jesus' ministry.
DeleteAlso, the eldest son of a household received a double portion of the father's inheritance, and with that received responsibilty to care for his mother and any un-wed sisters. My own speculation is that perhaps the wedding at Cana was of Jesus' youngest sister (he had at least three of them), which might have released Him from some responsiblities at home. It is interesting that at the time of the above mentioned Scriptures, Mary evidently wasn't among the disciples of Jesus. Yet she was present at the crucifixion, even though only men were required (by law) to go to Jerusalem for the Passover. Had she become a disciple of Jesus by that point? Or was she simply in town with her other sons for the feast? Forty days after the resurrection, Mary is listed among the disciples praying, just before the Holy Spirit appears in power. Again, was she there as a disciple, or accompanying John?
My own conjecture would be that she had become a disciple of Jesus by the time of His crucifixion, and was therefore among the women who traveled with Him. If she'd been in Jerusalem with her four other sons, there doesn't seem to be a need for Jesus to release to John the charge to care for His mother.
I guess that's a pretty long answer for a simple question. The Bible doesn't give all the details about which we are curious, but a certain amount of information can be read between the lines, and I do enjoy talking about it. :D
I love the thought of taking ownership...I am His and He is mine. Thanks Anne!
ReplyDeleteJay, please forgive the long delay in a reply. I'm grateful to have your comment, and to know the thoughts blessed you.
DeleteAmen. He saves us from our sins. Then gloriously, He saves us from ourselves. What a great series. Weeping with Joy... yeah, i am catching up after years of being an emotional flat-liner :)
ReplyDeleteMakala, I rejoice for your tears of joy, which I have no doubt are supplemented by plentiful tears of sorrow. Both kinds are collected by God in His bottle.
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