July 4, 2021
I hear the term “get saved” thrown around a lot in religious discussions. I started pondering on this and have come to the conclusion that when most folks use that term, they refer to getting “saved” from an eternity in hell and instead receiving an eternity in heaven. This is certainly an end result of salvation and should be preached and taught. However, this concept of salvation puts the focus on us and what we get out of the deal. This concept of salvation feeds into the “what’s in it for me” philosophy that is so prominent in twenty-first century churches. It is this same attitude that produces “worship wars” and “church shopping.” I don’t like that kind of music. I am not getting fed. I get to go to heaven. I don’t have to go to hell. I…I…I… Yay me! While I hear the phrase “I got saved” quite often, I rarely hear the phrase “Today, I became a disciple of Jesus.” We don’t preach and teach that aspect of salvation nearly as hard as we do the “Get saved” part. Wanna know why? Nobody in their right mind wants to go to hell. I mean really! “Why yes, as a matter of fact, I really do think I would like to burn in hell for eternity.” Said no one. Ever. “Getting saved” is really a pretty easy sell. The only hard part of the whole deal is when we (correctly) tell folks that Jesus is the only way to “Get saved”. On the other hand, listen to what Jesus says is required to be a disciple of His. Matthew 16:24- 26 (NKJV) "Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" All that talk about taking up crosses, dying, and losing is a much tougher sell than “Getting saved”. This is why so many people never get past saying a prayer or getting baptized. “Getting saved” is easy. Being a disciple of Jesus, not so much. As you read this, I hope you are saved. But I also hope that you are striving to be a disciple of Jesus as well. It is only in losing our lives and living for Jesus instead of ourselves that we find true contentment in our salvation. It is about HIM, not me.
Be blessed and go be a blessing . . . Andy
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