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NASB | Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace [God's remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; |
Bible Question: At 18 I accepted Christ as my Savior. I am now 31 in the time in between I have been in and out of churches. I do not have a church home. I love Christian music, I read the daily bread almost everyday, I know who Christ is and believe in him. I do not have a so called "personal relationship" with him that I hear so much about. Does this mean I will not go to heaven? |
Bible Answer: Hi chico98092, all of us have experienced doubts from time to time concerning where we stand with God. Often, it is because we are looking at our own lives and our own inconsistencies as a gauge for determining whether our salvation 'took' or not. But, my friend, as your reference verse says, salvation is a gift. It cannot be earned. As a gift, it can only be accepted. One of the problems people face with doubts is that they think, 'Now that I've accepted Christ, I'll get everything right.' And, inevitably, when we (or things) go wrong, we focus on our failures. So we mistakenly think that salvation is 'living like Jesus.' And who amongst us can do that? So when we fail, we wonder, am I really saved? There can only be two answers to that question: Yes, I am, but I'm not living the abundant life that Christ promised and I need reassurance OR No, I'm not. Only God alone knows our hearts but it does help to understand what salvation is and, sometimes, what it is not. Please permit me to share this with you. This has helped me to understand what true salvation is. It is very important to look at the scripture references. That is where truth is found. 1) Man's problem is that he is born spiritually dead to God and is in need of life. See Rom 5:12; Eph 2:1 2) God's solution to man's problem is to provide that life through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. See John 3:16; Rom 6:23 3) Before God could give us His life, sins had to be forgiven. See John 1:29; Heb 10:17,18 4) The Good News of the gospel is that 'It is Finished' - we have been, through Christ's death, reconciled to God. See 2 Cor 5:18,19; Rom 5:10 5) In Christ, you are a new creation. See 2 Cor 5:17; Rom 8:1,2 6) So our decision is to turn from our unbelief and receive Jesus Christ as our life. See Eph 2:8,9; John 5:24 7) So salvation is being saved from the wages of sin (spiritual death) by the gift of God (spiritual life). Chico, many people have come to Christ for the forgiveness that He offers but that is only one-half of the gospel. Christ provided forgiveness of our sins so that He can actually dwell IN us. Christ did not come so that He could just get men out of Hell and into Heaven. He came so that He could get Himself out of Heaven and back into man, His most-loved creation. If we understand that Christ is our life and we can say with Paul, 'I no longer live but Christ lives in me' then here are a few more helpful thoughts: Abide in Christ - John 15:5 Walk in truth - John 8:31,32 Grow in God's grace - Titus 2:11-14 Renew your mind through God's Word - Rom 12:2 Feed on God's Word - Matt 4:4 Be encouraged (and encourage other believers) - Heb 10:25 Be strengthened by God's faithfulness - Rom 8:28 Give thanks in everything (even your weaknesses so they show you your need to rely always on Christ) - 1 Thess 5:18 I hope and pray this helps you, dear brother. In Christ, Bill Mc |