"Saved...Maybe?"

We sing a song at times, "Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine!" Great words. Easy to speak. Much more difficult to believe. A friend of mine sent me a little survey he took while teaching at a men's retreat for another congregation. There were some 40 men present. He asked about their assurance of salvation and their spiritual condition. Here were his results: 10% believed they were saved; 35% believe they were lost; 55% were not sure! It struck me, "This is us!" You want to know why the church is dying? You want to know why we are using all sorts of 'fleshly' means to motivate people to come and try to keep 'us'? How can we offer something to the lost we simply do not have? What do we have to offer? Moving songs? Social activities? Friendship? It's not salvation!

It makes me wonder if we die with our fingers crossed? Listen to the assembly prayers offered, "And Lord, if you find us faithful in the end..." Is that "Blessed Assurance"? One cannot assure who is not assured. Let's think about this, can God use someone who is not sure about their salvation?

Let's step back for a moment. Do you believe, as a penitent baptized sinner is saved by the blood of Christ after your baptism? If we were saved at that time and point, what about 10 yrs. later? Many are trying to capture a feeling rather than walk by faith. Does that mean we were looking at us when we entered Christ or Him? After baptism, is it all downhill? Just for a pondering thought, why didn't we just drown the penitent believer at that time and point? Have we turned the "Good News" (gospel) into "Bad News"?

Jesus died to forgive and save us. Oh, it's not once saved always saved. One can fall from grace (Gal. 5:4). But it's not once saved barely saved either. The blood of Jesus cleanses us or it doesn't! He stands good for us or He doesn't! Why would Paul tell the brethren at Ephesus to "put on the helmet of salvation."? (Eph. 6:17) That's before we use the sword of the Spirit, the word. Jesus is our guarantee. Look closely at Him. Listen to Him. Watch Him and rest assured when He speaks your sins forgiven, He means it with every drop of blood that was shed on your behalf. "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Rom. 8:1) It makes me wonder why so many who profess Christ are so joyless? Believe your Lord! Let's try this again, sing "Blessed assurance Jesus is mine!" Go ahead...look Jesus square in the eyes and sing it right now!