Salvation

When Jesus died on the cross, a divine exchange took place.

Jesus was punished so that we could be forgiven.

He was wounded so that we could be healed.

He was made sin with our sin, so that we could be made righteous with His righteousness.

He died a death that He did not deserve, to give you and I a life that we could never earn.

He was made a curse that we might receive the blessing.

He endured our poverty that we might share in His abundance.

He bore our shame that we might share His glory.

He endured rejection that we might be accepted.

Our old man died with Christ that our new man could resurrect with Him.

And that is Salvation.

In Greek, the word salvation means SOZO and is used over a hundred times in the New Testament. When you get to the root of the word, you realize that Salvation is more than just to be saved.. It means to be forgiven, delivered and healed. It means to be made whole. It means to have overflow. Not necessarily material wealth, but spiritual wealth. A fullness of body, mind and spirit.

Salvation is not a one time thing. It is a progressive work that God does in us to bring us to perfection in the image of Christ. Our problem is not that we reject salvation. It is that we neglect it. We do not honor that sacrifice. We doubt our God and put limits on Him, on His forgiveness, on His strength, on His promises. We lean on our own understanding. We need to make a decision every day, to bring our flesh under submission to God and let Him do a deep work in us. Because the flesh wants what is contrary to the Spirit. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. Our carnal man and our Spirit man are constantly battling with each other and often it is the carnal desires that win. As Paul put it in Romans 7:15 "For I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do... Although I want to do good, evil is right here with me. For in my inner being I delight in Gods law: but i see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me  prisoner of the law of sin at work in me. So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin." There are two laws at work in us. And we are a slave to both. The Spirit of God that came into us when we confessed and accepted Jesus Christ gives us the strength to overcome the law of sin. For we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. But we must take responsibility because it is a progressive work in us. God can do anything. He is not limited by the laws of nature. The only thing that can limit Him is us. Through doubt, through negligence, through fear, through rebellion. God cannot move unless we move. He will do His part, but will you do yours? Its not enough to just have faith. Because Faith without works is dead.

We need to wake up every day and be willing to die to our flesh. "For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires. And the mind governed by the flesh is death." Romans 8

And as Paul put it so eloquently, we need self discipline. "I beat my body and bring it into subjection... lest I become disqualified." The present tense clearly speaks of this as a continual practice. It speaks of the oppressive treatment of the body, not merely in physicality, but a rigid self denial of fleshly desires. Jesus presented a similar instruction to those who truly wanted to be His disciples. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must DENY himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." Matthew 16:24 Its clearly a difficult feat. A feat we cannot overcome in our own strength. And just as Paul is not going to force us into self discipline, neither is Jesus. It is our prerogative, our choice. Our free will. Will I follow Jesus today? A question we need to ask ourselves every morning. We are more than conquerors through Christ. The Spirit that lives within us gives us the strength to carry that cross. And our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18

"Continue to work out YOUR salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose." Philippians 2:12-13

 We are dead to sin and Alive in Christ. He is working salvation in us, and we need to meet Him half way.