Saved by the Gospel

In II Kings 5:1-14 we read about a man named Naaman.  Naaman was a great and honorable man. But he was a leper. When a messenger from God told Naaman he could be cleansed of his leprosy by dipping in the Jordan River seven times, he became angry. Naaman had expected some great thing to happen, thus cleansing him of his leprosy. Eventually, however, Naaman did as he was told and was cleansed of his leprosy. He was cleansed by the power of God. I know of no one who would claim that Naaman was cleansed by the power of the water. Yet this incident in Naaman’s life clearly teaches Naaman was not cleansed of his leprosy until he obeyed God! Likewise, we are not cleansed of the filth of our sin until we obey God by being baptized in water (Acts 22:16). Sadly, many people claim to have the right to their own belief concerning how they can be saved from their sin.

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know, For the Bible Tells Me So. We often think of this song as one for little children. But notice the line, “Jesus loves me, loves me still, though I’m very weak and ill, from His shining throne on high, looks down on me where I lie.”

In truth, this is a song for people of all ages. It’s comforting to know that, from the time we come into this world til the time we take our dying breath, Jesus loves us, this we know!

What would it take for you to lose your faith? To walk away from God? Severe economic downturn, perhaps the loss of your income? Personal heartbreak or a family crisis? To be diagnosed with a terminal illness? The death of someone dear to you?

The prophet Habakkuk felt that God was not listening. He incorrectly thought that God was inactive in men’s lives. Yet, notice Habakkuk’s words from Habakkuk 3:17-18 - “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

Have you ever met someone at the end of the day and asked them, “How was your day today,” only for them to respond, “Oh, it was just another day.” The phrase, “It was just another day” seems to minimize the significance of the day. It seems to express the thought that the day was somewhat trivial with nothing special about it. There is no such thing as “Just Another Day” in God’s eyes, nor should there be in ours.

Because life is a blessing from God, each day that extends our life is also a blessing from God. Each new day we face presents us with wonderful opportunities – opportunities we will only be given for that one particular day.

Think about it; each day is another day to: Enjoy God’s Blessings – James 1:17, Feed on God’s Word by Studying the Scriptures – James 1:22, Enjoy the Beauty of the World Around You – Psalm 19:1, Talk to God in Prayer – I Thessalonians 5:17, Talk to Someone About the Grace of God – Romans 3:24, Invite Someone to Study the Bible With You – II Timothy 2:2, Invite Someone to Worship With You This Coming Sunday – Psalm 29:2, Pray to God and Ask Him to Forgive You of Your Wrongs – Matthew 6:12, Ask Someone You Have Wronged to Forgive You – Matthew 5:23-24, Forgive Someone Who Has Wronged You – Matthew 6:14-15, Give Help to Someone Who Needs It – Matthew 25:31-46, Thank God for His Blessings – Luke 17:11-19, Raise Your Voice and Praise God in Song – James 5:13, Tell Someone How Much You Appreciate Them and How Much You Are Glad to Know Them – Proverbs 27:17, Thank Someone for Something They Have Done for You – Philippians 1:3, Pray for Your Preacher. Thank God for What He Does and Ask God to Give Him Success in Doing God’s Work – II Thessalonians 3:1, Call an Old Friend You Haven’t Seen in Awhile – Proverbs 17:17, Mail a Get Well Card to Someone Who Isn’t Feeling Well – Matthew 25:36.

You see, there’s really no such thing as “Just another day,” because when God gives us another day, He gives us another day filled with wonderful opportunities that will only come our way once. Don’t let them pass you by!

“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” (1 Corinthians 15:19) Have you ever read this verse and thought the opposite is also true? No, I don’t mean the opposite of what Paul wrote. But the same thought expressed in an opposite manner. Have you ever read this verse and thought, “If we have hope beyond this life, we are of all men most joyful!” It’s true! Christians have every reason to rejoice. Christians are justified before God because of their obedient faith. They have peace with God through Jesus Christ. Their faith allows them to have access to God’s grace and are able to rejoice in their hope. (Romans 5:1-2) No wonder Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4)

Prior to Paul's conversion he was a blasphemer, a persecutor and was injurious to the church. I Timothy 1:13. He would often take the Lord's disciples captive and have them put to death. Acts Chapter 9. But in Philippians 1:1 he identified as a servant of Christ.

Why the difference? Paul is a wonderful demonstration of the power of the gospel and its ability to change men's hearts. His life is an example for us that cannot be ignored! The gospel is God's power to save men and change their minds and hearts.

Question that I must ask myself. "How has the gospel changed my life? Am I allowing the gospel to continually change my heart and mind?"

That gives me something to think about today, doesn't it?

“If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:4-8)

Notice those words, “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.” Paul went on to say he counted these things as rubbish. Friends, what is your ambition in life? What are you striving to accomplish? All you may gain in this world, physical possessions, societal status, education, advancement in your career, is like rubbish, or trash, compared to knowing Christ. When setting your goals for life, nothing else matters if you don’t put God first in your life.

"He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord" (Proverbs 17:15). This verse serves to remind us of those who are increasingly quick to go to great lengths to lessen the atrocity of sin. But no matter what man may call sin, God still considers it sin. Man has the ability to decide to do right or wrong. But man does not have the right to decide what is right or wrong. That is to be left up to God. No matter what man calls sin, sin still separates man from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). No matter what man calls sin, sin will still cause a person to spend eternity in hell, unless, of course, that person repents and turns from his sin (Acts 26:18-20). At a time when many trivialize lying as a character flaw, attempt to justify homosexuality by calling it an alternative lifestyle and defend abortion as a woman’s choice, it causes me to wonder, “Why are so many people quick to call sin something other than what it really is, sin?”

Have you ever considered that many people give more attention to maintaining their car than they do their soul? When it comes to their automobile, they may rotate the tires and check the tire pressure regularly, check the oil level and make sure the belts and hoses are in good shape. After all, a car can be very expensive to replace.

But your soul is of far greater value than your car and, more importantly, your soul cannot be replaced! How much attention do you give to your time in worshipping God? In talking to God in prayer and allowing Him to talk to you through His written word, the Bible? How much attention do you give to your speech? How serious are you about practicing self-discipline and avoiding sin? Do you mourn over your sin and seek God’s forgiveness? Something to think about, isn’t it?

‘The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29. John’s statement concerning Jesus is short and simple. Yet it holds several lessons for us. First, John refers to Jesus as the Lamb of God. The very purpose for Jesus coming to earth was to offer himself as a sacrifice for our sin. Second, Jesus is the Lamb of God, meaning Jesus was sent by God. Third, Jesus takes away our sin. He is the only sacrifice that can take away our sin. He doesn’t ignore, gloss over or trivialize our sin. He takes our sin away. Fourth, Jesus takes away the sins of the world, meaning He died for all men, not just a select group. Never forget, your salvation is made possible because of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!