Let's not take things for granted!

I'm afraid that many times Christians are also guilty of taking for granted the miraculous gift of salvation. Remember what Paul wrote?

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9, NIV)

"Seriously?" we may think.

Is it really that simple?

Yes!! 

It really is.

God doesn't require that we study and work and pass theology tests. He doesn't ask that we perform any great tasks. He doesn't require that we prove ourselves with magnificent deeds.

We believers sometimes make this more difficult than it really is. It's simple -- we are sinners, and because we are, we are facing condemnation. What is condemnation? Webster says this: reprehensible, wrong, evil, guilty, unfit, sentenced to punishment ......

The Bible says this: 

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:18, NIV)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, (Romans 8:1)

The punishment? The complete separation of ourselves from God. Not just now. Not just tomorrow. But to the end of time. For eternity. 

They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might  (II Thessalonians 1:9)

We Christians take that simplicity for granted sometimes. We add things to it, and make it harder than it really is. Rituals like baptism and confirmation and the like are wonderful ways to celebrate and show in real life the new life that we have in Christ.....but they are not required. The person who accepts Christ just before drawing his or her final breath is just as saved as the person who accepts and is baptized.

Truly, God's grace in giving us salvation through Jesus' death and resurrection is amazing! He gave His only Son to die for us, and He could ask any price at all to receive the gift. But all He wants is for us to repent, and be saved, and have a relationship with Him.

We also sometimes take for granted the joy of our faith. Don't we? I see you nodding, just as I am nodding my head, too.
God came to us! And through faith in Christ we can know the Father God!
That is truly a joyful thing.
But many of us forget about that joy! Shouldn't we be excited about it?
Remember back in I Peter, chapter 1?

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (I Peter 1:8-9, NIV)

 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.  (John 16:22)

 and those the Lord has rescued will return.They will enter Zion with singing;    everlasting joy will crown their heads.Gladness and joy will overtake them,    and sorrow and sighing will flee away. (Isaiah 35:10)

We have something to shout about!! Every single person who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved!
That means you!
And me!
We should be totally excited about it!
Have we experienced the amazing grace of God?
Do we believe that Jesus is His Son and that He rose from the dead?

Yes!! Then, let's act like it! (Grin) Don't take it for granted......