The message of salvation is the revealing of God’s gracious gift to humanity. It is all too easy for so many to miss this simple but profound truth that by God’s grace we are saved. The first thing that I think of when I consider this is -‘saved from what?’ What do we mean when we say saved? If I do not know that I need saving then I will have no need of a saviour! This is the real issue for many good people around the globe, they do not see their need for a saviour. After all they will tell you, ‘I am a good person, and good people go to heaven right.’ The word teaches us of a terrible judgement to come when it will not be enough to have been good because God in His righteousness declares that he who is guilty in one letter of the law is guilty before the whole law. In other words no matter how good our good may be it will never measure up to God’s standard. Even if we have lived a good life, if we have not acknowledged and worship God the Father in heaven then we are guilty! It’s a scary thought and the reason why no human being can save themselves. Romans tells us there is none righteous no not one. However in clear contrast to this the word declares that God is not willing that any should perish, God does not want to see us miss out on heaven. So here’s the problem we can’t live up to God’s standards and the consequence (the price or cost) is death. The wages of sin is death, this is how the bible puts it. So when we read verses such as these in Ephesians we start to realise what we cannot do, God has done for us. God has sent His Son, Jesus, to take our place and die on our behalf. This then is the message of salvation that God has done for us what we could not do for ourselves. This gift is salvation from God’s judgement, forgiveness for our wrongs against God. A way for us to enter into a relationship with God and know the blessing and benefit of His love and kindness toward us. Over the years I believe the message has got clouded at times, Christians trying to live to strict rules and standards. Yes sometimes even condemning those who didn’t do the same. However God’s message is not one of judgement or condemnation but of grace, unmerited favour. God gives us this gift freely, there is nothing we can do to earn it, or deserve it, it is simply given by our loving heavenly Father. What must we do to be saved then? Believe and receive. Once we know what God has done we must believe that He has done it, believe in who Jesus is and what He has done on our behalf. Then we receive, we accept this gift and live in the joy of knowing that the hopelessness of this life has now been replaced and we can have hope in Jesus and in the promise of everlasting life. This is the message of good news (Gospel in old language) that God has given us a gift and should we choose to accept we will find there is so much more to discover.
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