THE NECESSITY FOR SALVATION
COMMENTARY
[Act 4:12 NASB20] “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.”
A story is told of a woman by the name of Amelia, 95 years old who shared her story of how she came to receive Jesus Christ as her personal Saviour. Some time before she was at the doorway of a church in her Latin American town afraid to enter in. But as she stood there at the doorway, she listened intently to the preacher say “Jesus is your Saviour. He will save you from your sins. When you are in need, call on Jesus.”
Well, after the service she went home and as she entered one of the rooms, she heard a rustling sound. Suddenly, before she could do anything a large Boa Constrictor snake began to wrap itself around her. All she could see now was a large head in front of her face and the snake began to squeeze. She remembered the preacher’s words and in desperation she cried out “Jesus, save me! Jesus, save me!” Suddenly, the snake loosened its squeeze, fell from her, and slithered away.
Needless to say, not only did Amelia thank the Lord for saving her life but she also accepted Christ into her life. This is what Jesus came to do. He came to provide salvation for us through His death and resurrection. Scripture says, [Eph 2:8-9 KJV] “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
A young man attending a university once said in a conversation with an evangelist “There are many roads to salvation and heaven. Sincerity is the key to reaching heaven. You may believe whatever you wish as long as you are sincere.” Is that true?
Does it really matter what you believe? Yes, it does. Scripture says that it was Jesus that came to deal with the sin question. [Rev 1:5 NLT] “. . . Jesus Christ . . . He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding His blood for us.” Since He has come and died on the cross, He has provided salvation for all mankind.
Why is this truth important for us to know?
Our story goes back to the Garden of Eden when Adam decided to disobey God, especially after he was told that the day he disobeys he would die. As a result, the curse of death both spiritually and physically has come upon the human race. Death is the consequence we pay for the sin we inherited. Because of breaking God’s command, a debt is now owed by all. Who will pay this debt to rescue us from this dilemma? All the goodness we may display, all the money in the world cannot help us. Everything is contaminated by sin and as a result there is no one that can pay the bill outside of God.
God had to make that move because someone without the guilt of sin had to come, make that ransom payment and make us righteous. We are all sinners in need of a Saviour; because the debt of sin is far beyond our ability to save ourselves. The curse of death is upon us and legally speaking we cannot do anything about it. We need redemption and Jesus came to pay the debt we owe.
You might say, “I am totally okay; I don’t need this, for everyone is going to heaven. All this about sin and going to hell is a hoax. God is a God of love, and He would never send anyone to hell.” The fact is that everyone is a sinner, and if you think you are okay, you need to investigate your heart and see the potential that you have of doing something incredibly horrible. [Jer 17:9 KJV] “The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?” We have all broken God’s law. [Isa 53:6 KJV] “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
Our only hope is Jesus Christ. [Jhn 3:16 KJV] “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth (have faith) in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Q and A
Question: How important is faith for salvation?
Answer: Hebrews 11:6 points out that without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith grabs God’s attention. Martin Luther back in 1510, like any other monk, made his way to Rome to climb “Pilate’s Staircase” on his knees. This was about punishing your body to salvation. These stairs consisted of 28 white marble steps and by climbing them would buy indulgences for someone in purgatory. So, as he climbed these steps, suddenly it seemed a voice like thunder spoke these words from [Rom 1:17 KJV] “The just shall live by faith.”
This was the turning point in his life which lifted him from believing that good works would provide salvation for him to understanding that faith in Jesus Christ made the difference. [Eph 2:8-9 KJV] “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
DEVOTIONAL FOR THE DAY……..
[2Co 2:15 NKJV] “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”
In ancient times when the Roman army won a great victory, they paraded their defeated enemies through the streets in shackles. As part of the celebrations, they burned incense on altars throughout the city, filling the air with perfume. That way those who couldn’t see the procession knew the army had triumphed, because they heard the music and smelled the incense. The scent became symbolic of victory. Are you getting the idea?
Paul says, “Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him” (2 Cor 2:14 NIV). Forget Estee Lauder and Chanel No. 5! Your life should be so permeated with God’s presence that people around you can pick up the scent of it. After all, you’re the most compelling evidence there is that Jesus is alive and well in His children!
In Florida, there’s an elegant cathedral with amazing stained-glass windows, each portraying an important event in the life of Christ. And that’s okay. But the truth is, God doesn’t need church windows to tell the story – He’s looking for tuned-in, turned-on Christians to do that! “It’s been said that the longer a husband and wife live together the more they start to look, act and talk alike.” And it’s the same with us. The more time we spend thinking about Jesus, talking to Him, meditating on His Word and basking in His presence, the more people are going to want to know, “What’s that scent you’re wearing?”
Reposted.