Are You Saved?
You have probably heard people talk about being “saved.” Jesus said that He came into the world “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10 NIV). What does that mean?
Salvation rescues you from yourself. You might think you don’t need to be saved from yourself, but is that really true? Are you perfect? You have no anger, resentment, anxiety, guilt, animosity, or destructive habits? Everyone has problems they can’t solve on their own. Everyone needs to be rescued. You need Jesus, just like me.
The Bible talks about being saved from sin. Sin is simply going against God and what He wants for us, and our sins always end badly. Jesus came to save you from yourself…from your sin that has gotten in the way of the life He has for you. That’s why Jesus went to the cross: to save you from what separates you from Him.
Salvation recovers what you lost. Maybe you’ve lost your reputation, your dreams, your innocence, your joy. What have you lost that you want back?
The Bible prophet Joel spoke of locusts, or grasshoppers, destroying fields. Growing up in an agricultural area, I remember the fear farmers had of insect infestations. They can destroy an entire field in a matter of hours. Joel used this as an analogy of what sin does to our lives. But then he promises, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten… You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God” (Joel 2:25-26 ESV).
More than anything, without God, we’ve lost our purpose. We were created to know and enjoy our Maker. We lost that with our sin. Salvation restores it. It’s why Jesus came, died, and rose again.
Salvation reconnects you to God. This is the most important aspect of being saved. When you surrender your life to God, Jesus reconciles you to Him. He tears down the barriers that once separated you from your Creator. That’s the meaning of the word “reconciliation.”
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:17-18 NLT).
Being reconciled to God also means you will live with Him forever. You will have a home in heaven for eternity! Preparing for the next life is the most important thing you can do in this life. And that preparation is made today by receiving Jesus’ salvation.
Have you prepared? Are you saved?