Saved unto a List or Saved unto a New Life

“Though there is not always grace where there is the fear of hell, yet, to be sure, there is no grace where there is no fear of God.”
– John Bunyan

This week I handed out the requirements for my students’ next project. As the students got the list, they quickly began looking at the details and what would happen if they did not fulfill those requirements. As I went over this simple sheet of paper, each one was frantically underlining, highlighting, and starring each point in order to not miss a single one.

A hand popped up with a concerned face connected at the end. “Mr. Field, what is the penalty of missing one of these requirements?” My response sent shivers down some of their spines, “I will return your outline back to you, and you will receive a late penalty when you turn it in corrected.” The seriousness of following the requirements set in, and since then I have had many students come to me asking to check their outlines to see if they are on track.

I pondered on this simple academic situation. It is not unusual for this type of experience to happen at the college level. Yet, there is an important spiritual truth to be seen.

The Great Gift of Salvation

It is no denying that the greatest gift God has given to man is salvation. We were dead in our sins, and we were on our way to eternal condemnation. But God, who is rich in mercy, saved us by His grace to a new life (Ephesians 2:1-10).

When we come face to face with the holiness of God, we see the wretchedness of our sin and the glorious forgiveness of Christ. It is only through the death and resurrection of Christ we can be fully set free from the burden and slavery of sin, and be made alive to God.

Do you remember the day you were saved? Do you remember the Spirit pushing the weight of sin on your mind? Do you remember not being able to do anything else but cry out to God for salvation? The moment of being justified and reconciled with our Creator is the sweetest thing in life.

Salvation. It seems so simple, and we praise God for it. But, have we missed the great gift of Salvation and unwrapped a false salvation?

Saved from Fear to… Fear?

Romans 6:16-18 states we are set free from the slavery of sin, and are now servants of God. Romans 8:15 claims we are set free from the slavery of sin and set free from a spirit of fear. Instead, we are given the spirit of adoption where we are now called the children of God and heirs with Christ.

Yet, have we listened to a “salvation” that frees us from a spirit of fear and, in return, given us a different spirit of fear?

I am talking about the list. Many in churches today see salvation as praying a prayer, and then following a list of do’s and don’ts their church culture made from application of Scripture. We will not admit to it, but we say a prayer, write the date down, and then we carefully follow the check list:
– Attend church services every Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and
Wednesday evening
– Give to the church
– Read your Bible and pray
– Serve in the church
– Look the part for church
– Hand out tracts
– Give of your best to the master

The list can go on and on. Yet, when we doubt our salvation we turn to the date in our Bible and look at our checklist. We fear hellfire because we do not believe enough in a date or our fulfilling a checklist of chores.

This is not the spirit of adoption. This is not being saved to a new life in Christ. This false salvation is a belief in a date written in your Bible and your faithfulness to a list. This is superstition. It becomes about your work and your ability.

Following this mentality leads to being saved from fear of hellfire to being saved to the fear of your ability to believe and do enough. Biblically speaking, it is no different than the issue of the Galatians of trying to justify themselves through the works of the law (Galatians 2:15-16).

We no longer become servants of God. Instead, we are like puppets fearing what would happen if we mess up on our list and not hold fast to the date in our Bible. There is no grace in this attitude. We become more fearful of hellfire and the people in our churches, rather than being fearful of God and falling on our faces before Him to rescue us.

We have traded the burden of sin and death for the burden and fear of the church and a list of requirements. This is not salvation.

Saved to a New Life

So, what are we saved to? We already know that we are saved from the penalty of sin (Romans 6:23). We know this.

But, are we not saved to a new life to live a new way? Yes we are. The classic passage is Romans 12:1-2. Because of all that God has done for us, we are to be living sacrifices to Him. Because of Romans 1-11, we see the mercy and grace of our great God and Savior as He reached down and saved our souls when we could not help but die in our sins. However, we tend to get this passage mixed up. Our minds quickly breeze through verse 1 and go straight to “do not be conformed to this world” found in verse two. We look for what we need to do first. But, we need to take the passage exactly as what God gave us in His Word. We are to glory in the mercies of God and be. We are to be His living sacrifice ready for His will. There is no doing yet. We bask in his mercy and grace of no longer being condemned, but being adopted, and having a new life for God. This makes drives us to be a living sacrifice, and then begin doing. Paul reiterates this point in Galatians 2:20.

We no longer have to fear condemnation from anyone. We live, and have our being, and have our purpose in life because of the grace and mercy of God. Fearing God is not fearing hellfire. Fearing God is seeing who we are before Him, rejoicing in His work and gift of salvation, and living our lives for Him because of who He is. It is an awe in the God who is our Creator, Savior, Father, Justifier, and King of kings.

The Fruit of Salvation Lived

Oswald Chambers says, “The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.” When we fear, we use a list as the “fruit of our salvation.” Then, when someone is not following the list, we quickly state, “You will know them by their fruit.”

The fruit of salvation is not a list. The fruit of salvation is repentance. Matthew 3:8 shows us that it is not about being from a family, or following laws, or completing a list. The true fruit of salvation is repentance. It is not just and one and done deal. Repentance is a lifestyle of constantly turning from our pride and sin to be our our God, and running to the cross to find forgiveness as we learn to live our new life in Christ. From this lifestyle, the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) blossoms from a once dead tree made alive through the blood of Christ.

A.W. Tozer says, “Faith is the gaze of a soul upon a saving God.” We no longer have requirements. Instead, we live by faith because we see who God is and we want Him more than a list and more than anything in this world.

We are saved from sin, slavery and fear. We are saved to God, purposed in a new life, serving God in Christ, because of Christ. This is salvation. This is living our new life poured out from the grace of God.

All I was I lay aside now dead to sin
To God alive! Born again into a new identity!
Once asleep to God in sin, now wakened by the blood and cleansed!
Born again to be who He called me to be!
All I have I lay aside, run the race to gain the prize
For the sake of knowing Jesus Christ in me!
I cannot yet fully see all I’m truly called to be,
Knowing Christ reveals my hope and destiny!

He calls me child! He calls me to his side eternally!
He calls what once was lost now found, once bound to sin – now free!
He calls me holy! Calls me righteous! By the blood redeemed!
He calls me overcomer, crowned with victory!
This is my destiny!

What once bound me is no more! What was stolen is restored
By the resurrection power of my King!
What was old has been made new; lies and doubts replaced by truth!
What was silent now resounds, “I am redeemed!”

He calls me servant, calls me warrior; calls me royalty!
He calls me resurrected one! He calls me His redeemed!
He calls me higher, calls me for beyond my wildest dream!
He calls my heart to come and be all he can see!
He calls me chosen! New creation! Trophy of his His grace!
He gives me strength to fight the fight and run to win the race!
He tells me he delights in me while singing over me,
Accepting me as His beloved bride-to-be! This is my destiny!
– “This is My Destiny” by Dennis Jernigan