Salvation Is Not a Carrot on a Stick!

We Can Know That We Know

“These things have I written unto you who believe on the Name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have Eternal Life, and that you may (continue to) believe on the Name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).

The Apostle John is reaffirming the Gospel of Grace to those to whom he is writing. When faith is placed in Christ and Him Crucified then the result is that one is saved and has Eternal Life. Salvation is all of God. We are saved and kept by Grace through faith. We do not have to wonder about this. The Word of God makes it perfectly clear. Salvation is the result of the Goodness of God.

“For by Grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians  2:8,9).

Some attend churches today that do not preach the Gospel as it is meant to be preached. The Lord paid a great price at Calvary to provide Salvation for us and He wants us to know that His sacrifice at Calvary, in payment for the sin debt owed by us all, was sufficient for the Salvation of all those who come to Him in repentance and faith.

Our Salvation is not something we must work toward or wonder about. We can know we have Salvation today. If your church does not preach a Gospel of Salvation by the shed Blood of Christ and nothing else then you are hearing a false Gospel. Strong words? Yes, but, the importance of the true Gospel being preached cannot be overemphasized.

The Lord did not want us to be unsure about our Salvation. It is not to be presented as something to work toward or something that remains just out of reach like a carrot on a stick. What exactly does that mean?  There are churches and denominations today that require their members to follow their rules, ordinances, and sacraments promising that these will result in the favor of the Lord and a future in Heaven. The problem is that the people never really reach the point of knowing that they have obtained Salvation. It is a constant works regimen that leads nowhere. It’s called religion which is man trying to approach God by what he does. It does not, and cannot, bring about Salvation.

Salvation comes as a result of a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, it’s a relationship, not religion, that results in Salvation. We are to place our faith in Christ and Him Crucified. This will result in our Salvation because our faith is not in ourselves, but in Christ and what He accomplished at Calvary.

The Father, seeing our lost and hopeless condition, sent His Son to die on the Cross to pay the sin debt owed. We were born into our fallen nature and cannot save ourselves. When we think about the price the Lord paid at the Cross; how can we then believe that we must add anything to that to acquire Salvation?

The Lord, just before He died, cried out, “It is finished.” He was telling all that the payment for sin had been accomplished by Him and that whosoever will believe and come by faith in His great work will be forgiven and will have, at that very moment, Eternal Life.

So, if you are attending a church, no matter how established they might be, that does not preach the Salvation message of Grace by faith in Christ and Him Crucified then you are hearing a false Gospel. Preaching the true Gospel always results in souls being saved. We are to come in repentance and faith in what the Lord accomplished at Calvary. If we come His way then we can know that we are saved and on our way to Heaven.

The Gospel is not a carrot on a stick always just out of reach. It is what the Lord paid a great price to provide and comes to us totally by faith. We cannot earn it. It is not the result of faith plus works. Anything other than faith from first to last is rejected by the Lord.

Yes, we can know that we know. It’s the only way it could be. Christ paid it all and offers Salvation to us as we come by faith. When we truly see the love the Lord has for us, the result will be that we will worship Him for Who He is and praise Him for all He has done for us.

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His Courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His Name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100:4,5).

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Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024