Don’t Save the Date
There are some Christians that believe in a “once saved, always saved” doctrine. This is when you say a prayer one time in your life and you are “saved” until Jesus returns. If this is true and the way that God intended life to be, He would have taken us to Heaven the moment that we said we believe in Him. Paul would have never compared following Jesus as a race if there weren’t something more to it.
Salvation has never been a moment in time, though we can remember a time when God saved us. The Jews knew Yahweh as a God who saves. They believed salvation to be something that was continually lived for and desired.
Isa 12:2 Indeed, God is my salvation. I will trust Him and not be afraid. Because Yah, the LORD, is my strength and my song, He has become my salvation.”
Other names for God
Jehovah Elohe Yeshuathi – LORD GOD of My Salvation (Psalms 88:1)
Elohe Tishuathi – GOD of My Salvation (Psalms 18:46 & 51:14)
Psalm 119:166 LORD, I hope for Your salvation and carry out Your commands.
Psalm 119:174 I long for Your salvation, LORD, and Your instruction is my delight.
Salvation to a Jew is defined as victory, deliverance, help, health, prosperity, welfare and saving (health). They didn’t believe it as something that happened when you die. They were continually being saved by God. God was an active part of their lives.
God has saved and IS saving me.
God has healed and IS healing me.
God has delivered and IS delivering me.
God has prospered and IS prospering me.
God has protected and IS protecting me.
God has helped and IS helping me.
There are probably a bunch more that I can add to that list, but you get the point. God is an active part of our lives. He is saving me. When things are tight financially and God brings someone across my path that turns into a business client, God has just saved me and my family. When I come down with a sickness and God’s healing Power overcomes and heals me, He has saved me.
2 Corinthians 6:2 For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
Our faith is alive and active. Salvation was never meant to be tied to a single event or prayer. It’s like getting married and telling your spouse that you love them, but for the length of the marriage you say or do nothing more. Love is an action that is shown BECAUSE you love, not to prove your love (which is a whole other topic).
We trust God daily for salvation. We long for Him to save us and we delight in His Word. We do look forward to an eternity with Him, but if that is all he has ever done in our life, our faith is not active as it should be. In the verse below, note the little word “is” which indicates present tense.
Isaiah 12:2 Indeed, God is my salvation. I will trust Him and not be afraid. Because Yah, the LORD, is my strength and my song, He has become my salvation.”
Salvation is moment by moment, Glory to Glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). Just as God saved Shadrach, Meshach and Abendigo from the fiery furnace, or Daniel from the mouths of the lions, God is saving us. I think it’s harder to have faith that God will take us out of this world when we don’t have active faith that He will save us from the little things each and every day. If our salvation is not active, I would question what we are truly saved from? How can we truly believe that some far off God is going to save us from Hell when we can’t believe He is saving us from sickness, poverty, evil, destruction…
God, we turn to you in everything we do, knowing that you will save us through the sacrifice of your Son.
Micah 7:7 But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
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