salvation Archives - Faithful with a Few

Some people want only as much of God’s salvation as will keep them out of Hell

Each Sunday, I try to post a devotional thought for you to meditate on. Sometimes it will be something out of my own studies and prayers. Other times – like today – it will be from another source.

Today, I am posting quotes about true salvation & repentance from a serious of pastors/theologians, courtesy of Grace Gems:

“Some people want only as much of God’s salvation as will keep them out of Hell, and they measure out with unconscious precision how much worldliness and sin they can still hang on to without jeopardizing their chances. This is ‘conversion’ without repentance. Flee from it!” David Shepherd

“Are you guilty of this insidious practice? Are you unconsciously weighing out each day how much sin and worldliness you can still enjoy, and yet miss Hell’s eternal torment and flames? If this is the case with you, then you are a religious pretender and a gross hypocrite who needs to swiftly run to the foot of the Cross and repent of such an atrocity!

“A ‘worldly Christian’? Can there be such a thing? Or is this a term that the backslidden Church came up with to try to appease their guilty consciences and to excuse their ungodly ways? The concept of a ‘worldly Christian’ is a total absurdity! A true Christian is devoted, dedicated, or consecrated to God’s service–not worldliness. We are either devoted to Jesus–or to the world. Which is it for you?” C. Giordano

“Nothing worse can happen to a church, than to be conformed to this world! Those who would be transfigured by Jesus, must not be disfigured by conformity to the world.”Charles Spurgeon

“If I find anyone who is settled down too snugly into this world, I always doubt whether he’s ever truly been born again.”A.W. Tozer

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money!” Matthew 6:24

The Blessing Of Salvation!

By // by Khaleef Crumbley

Today, I am posting about the need and blessing of salvation, by James Smith, courtesy of Grace Gems:

(James Smith, “The Voice of Mercy in the House of Affliction!” 1855)

The Blessing Of Salvation!

Salvation is . . .
the greatest blessing that God can bestow;
deliverance from the greatest misery;
exaltation to the greatest happiness;
the greatest change in man’s state and character which can possibly be effected;
the greatest display of the love, wisdom, grace, and power of God!

Salvation is the very blessing that you need. The blessing which you must receive–or be eternally undone!

Salvation is a blessing for the PRESENT, for it is deliverance . . .
from the guilt of sin–which makes you miserable;
from the power of sin–which makes you unholy; and
from the love of sin–which proves you to be God’s enemy.

Salvation is a blessing for the FUTURE: it secures to you safety and happiness in time–and glory, honor, immortality, and eternal life when time shall be no more!

Salvation is a blessing which comprehends every other blessing.
If the man is saved–then all good things are his.
If the man is lost–then nothing good is his.
To be saved, is . . .
for the soul to be restored to a right relationship to God;
to be put in possession of unsearchable wealth;
to be raised to the highest honor; and
to be entitled to eternal glory!

No word is as sweet as salvation–as no word is as dreadful as its opposite, damnation! Reader, there is no intermediate state between these two extremes.

He Sees Countless Evils In Each One Of Us! – Devotion

By // by Khaleef Crumbley

Today, I am posting about the evil that is in our hearts, and why the gospel is truly “good news” by J.C. Ryle, courtesy of Grace Gems:

(J.C. Ryle, “The Gospel of Mark” 1857)

See what a black catalogue of evils the human heart contains

“For from within, out of a person’s heart, come . . .
evil thoughts,
sexual immorality,
theft,
murder,
adultery,
greed,
wickedness,
deceit,
eagerness for lustful pleasure,
envy,
slander,
pride, and
foolishness.
All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God.” Mark 7:21-23

Let us distinctly understand, when we read these words, that our Lord is speaking of the human heart universally. He is not speaking only of the notorious profligate, or the prisoner in the jail. He is speaking of all mankind. All of us, whether . . .
high or low,
rich or poor,
masters or servants,
old or young,
learned or unlearned
–all of us have by nature such a heart as Jesus here describes! The seeds of all the evils here mentioned, lie hidden within us all. They may lie dormant all our lives. They may be kept down by . . .
the fear of consequences;
the restraint of public opinion;
the dread of discovery; or
the desire to be thought respectable.

But every person has within him, the root of every sin!

How humble we ought to be, when we read these verses! “We are all as an unclean thing” in God’s sight. He sees countless evils in each one of us, which the world never sees at all, for He reads our hearts. Surely of all sins to which we are liable, self-righteousness is the most unreasonable.

How thankful we ought to be for the Gospel, when we read these verses! That Gospel contains a complete provision for all the needs of our poor defiled natures. The blood of Christ can “cleanse us from all sin.” The Holy Spirit can change even our sinful hearts, and keep them clean, when changed. The man that does not glory in the Gospel, can surely know little of the plague that is within him.

How watchful we ought to be, when we remember these verses! What a careful guard we ought to keep over our imaginations, our tongues, and our daily behavior! At the head of the black list of our heart’s contents, stand “evil thoughts.” Let us never forget that. Thoughts are the parents of words and deeds! Let us pray daily for grace to keep our thoughts in order, and let us cry earnestly and fervently, “lead us not into temptation!”

The Love God Has For Us!

By // by Khaleef Crumbley

Today, I am posting about the love of God by James Smith, courtesy of Grace Gems:

(James Smith, “Comfort for Christians!”)

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us! God is love.” (1 John 4:16)

The sweeter the truth–the more backward we often are to receive and believe it. Therefore it must be presented to us again and again. What is more pleasant, than the fact that “God is love”?

Yet so quickly we doubt it, or forget it, or fail to realize it. Therefore the Gospel presents it to us again and again, and in almost every possible form. Twice within the scope of a few verses, John tells us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8,16).

Belief in this portrayal of God lies at the root of our holiness, happiness, and peace. To the extent that we believe that “God is love”–we will . . .
consecrate ourselves to His service,
enjoy peace in our consciences,
and be happy in His ways.

God loves us, and therefore He planned our salvation, sending His one and only Son to take away our sins by the sacrifice of Himself. He also sent His Holy Spirit to teach us our need of Christ and lead us to Him. And, finally, He has put His blessed Word in our hands so that through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures, we might have hope.

God loves us–and therefore He . . .
chastens us,
strips us, and
empties us.
He will not let us live satisfied without Himself.

God is love–therefore He has provided an atonement for all our sins. His justice is satisfied, and Heaven is prepared for us!

Yes, though we were sinners by nature, and deeply feel it–though we are not all that we wish to be, and deeply deplore it–yet God loves us!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, who in His love and in His pity has redeemed me!

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins!” (1 John 4:10)

photo credit: freedigitalphotos.net

Financial Independence and Eternal Salvation – Is There a Connection?

By // by Kevin M

In so many ways, a blog that deals with personal finance from a Christian perspective is a perfect marriage. Successfully managing personal finance is largely about adopting a life based on delayed gratification. Christianity meanwhile, teaches us to move steadily closer to God through Jesus Christ throughout our lives, and to rely completely upon Him, which ultimately will result in eternal salvation.

There seems to be a connection then between pursuing financial independence and attaining eternal salvation. If this seems like a stretch, consider some of the following points.

The Gospel Does Not Promise Us Paradise This Side Of Heaven

When you first become a believer in Jesus Christ your worldly troubles don’t magically disappear. You will not yet enter the Kingdom of Heaven, nor will you be sinless or made perfect. Quite the opposite! It is usually the beginning of a process that is sometimes referred to as patient endurance.

The Apostle Paul spells this point out clearly:

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” – Philippians 3:12

In fact, in 2 Timothy 4:7, he likens the Christian’s life to a race:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7)

If you have ever run in a race, you know that there are times when you will be making incredible progress – and other times when you seem to be getting nowhere. There may even be times along the way when you will stumble and fall, and need to collect your wits before going forward. But your overriding objective is always to focus on the goal.

Our job as Christians is to press on toward the goal of salvation in the midst of living an imperfect life in an imperfect world. But always we have to have faith in the outcome, that we’ll have eternal life with our Savior in Heaven.

Financial Independence Comes From Doing Without Today For A Better Tomorrow

One of the reasons why so many people never achieve any level of financial independence is because they are consumed by the issues of the moment. There are bills to pay, things to buy, and fires that need to be put out. They can soak up all of our time, energy and money. The problem with that arrangement is that we never move forward toward the independence we hope to achieve.

But in order to have that independence, we have to become more future oriented – we have to let go of some preferences and habits today, in order to pave the way for a better future. If we are never able to grasp that concept – and to put it into action – the likelihood is that tomorrow will look just like today.

Both the “race” for financial independence and eternal salvation involve a large dose of delayed gratification, to always be focused on the goal at the end, rather than the troubles and desires of the moment.

The Key To Attaining Both: Letting Go Of What Tempts Us

Whether it is eternal salvation or financial independence, temptations always have us surrounded. On the financial side, we will always have unlimited wants. We want a bigger house, a better car, and yet another vacation. But unless we are willing to let go of those forms of instant gratification, our financial futures may not get any brighter.

The same is true with eternal salvation. We have to let go of much of what it is that ties us to the world. The world may put a premium on chasing money, power, popularity and even fame. But if we hope to obtain eternal salvation, we need to be ready to let go of earthly pursuits. Accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior is the key to our salvation, but our willingness to let go of everything else is proof that we are His.

Both financial independence and eternal salvation call us to delayed gratification. It’s about sacrificing today for a better tomorrow – and believing in our mission along way.

Am I saying that the pursuit of financial independence might – or even should – be easier for Christians? Maybe, maybe not. But the direction is the same with both, which should be a major clue.

Can you see a connection between eternal salvation and achieving financial independence?

photo credit: skambalu