Salvation

"If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" ~ Romans 10:9

This great verse at the end of what is commonly called the "Roman's Road", which is a short four-verse explanation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, tells us what is required for salvation. But what is salvation? We cannot answer that question without understanding what we need to be saved FROM. Romans 10:9 seems irrelevant without knowledge of the other truths expressed in Paul's letter, namely: 1) all mankind has sinned and falls short of God's glory (Romans 3:23), thereby separating us from Him, 2) the penalty for sin that we have earned is death (Romans 6:23), but in Jesus we can have life, and 3) Christ died for us while we were still in our sins, demonstrating the great love of God (Romans 5:8). You see, we have to know that our sins have caused a great divide between us and God, and that without His presence we are doomed to death and eternal separation from Him; and then we have to know that God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to die for us while we were still His enemies. Without those prerequisites, there is no understanding of salvation, and no actual understanding of salvation produces no lasting change. This is precisely where many so-called "Christians" find themselves today, believing that a simple prayer said as a youngster is sufficient for entrance into heaven where God dwells, yet knowing life for them is no different than before. Scripture is clear that salvation is more than a prayer in a moment of reflection. This week at Friendship, we dig into the foundation of "Salvation" that set the stage for Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Some understood, some misunderstood, but all who recognized their need called on Jesus. Join us this weekend as we reemphasize this universal need and what it means for our lives right now!