THE longer I stay in ministry, the more I discover that the basic and elementary issues of salvation are the most misunderstood. Foundational concepts have to be mastered. In some strongholds, Jesus has to be reintroduced and the Gospel re-preached. It’s very difficult to enjoy the journey if you’re preoccupied with the possibility of a fatal accident. The Christian faith is not guesswork but sure salvation. With a heart and mind convinced of the assurance of eternal life in Christ you will enjoy your Christian life. Sports people will tell us that matches are won if preoccupation isn’t loss. They play freely and relaxed with talent expressed when they know they will win.
Devotion with Erasmus Makarimayi
Pursuant to the issue we tackled last week, let’s consider this allegory. Assume you’re renting (lodging) where you’re living whether it’s one room, cottage, condo or full house. The furniture you buy will differ from what you would buy if the property was yours. You wouldn’t consider a built-in wardrobe but a movable one. Would you consider an orchard or just vegetable bed? If you’re convinced that your salvation is sure and eternal life guaranteed, your attitude in trusting God will differ. Life application will fulfil the eternal master plan of God. Your faith will not be monetary and your trust and belief in Christ will be permanent not temporary.
Your prayers will not be begging for handouts but full provision for your vision.
We have repeated over the life of this column that believers have to be Christ conscious not sin conscious. A sinner becomes a born again believer by confession of Jesus not confession of sin. Confession of sin doesn’t save a sinner but confession of Jesus. This has to settle in the mind permanently. This is found in Romans 10:9-10. It reads, “[9] That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Please note that there’s no mention of sin here and sin should never be your meditation.
Should a believer be focused on sin and fear of hell fire then the purpose of Jesus is belittled. The whole scheme of the devil is to have you focus on your works and their inadequacy to save you. Satan thrives on luring naïve believers from Christ to self effort. Jesus’ mission is clearly spelt out in Matthew 1:21, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Jesus didn’t fail to accomplish this.
We’re saved from sin and our focus is on Him who saved us from sin and not the defeated sin.
The onus is on the Saviour to save and not on the saved to accomplish salvation. We don’t doubt the completed works of Jesus. We don’t even assume that He may desert us. Matthew 1:23 settles the matter, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” He will never leave nor forsake us. God means for us to know assuredly that we are bound for heaven and that we will not fail to get there. It is possible for young Christians, with genuine saving faith, to go through periods of time in which they do not have the full assurance of hope. 1 John 5:13 states, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” In other words, the heart’s true allegiance to Christ and true union with Christ are not completely identical with strong feelings of assurance. Faith can be real when the feelings of assurance are weak. God teaches us to be earnest and zealous in our pursuit of full assurance because that is where the joy and freedom and power are found.
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We don’t despise and belittle the sacrificial death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. We’re very careful not to substitute His grace with our works thereby bringing to nought His finished works. There are people who have instilled fear in believers lying that they went to heaven and God told them that believers are still not yet holy enough.
The Scriptures are the basis of our faith, not hallucinations. Dear reader, our holiness is in Christ, not of our making but the free gift of God. Enjoy your fellowship with God in Christ without fear and inadequacy. Consider 2 Corinthians 3:5, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;”
Grace and peace be multiplied to you. You’re going somewhere. All Bible quotations are from the King James Version. Email: [email protected] Fellowship with Pastor Makarimayi on Facebook and on www.twitter.com/PEMAKARIMAYI. Telephone +263 712 332 632
