Take the helmet of salvation
~ Ephesians 6:17
Salvation is not a one-time thing. You can’t pray a prayer and just move on. Paul says we must continue to work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12). Salvation is on-going. Where repentance is like getting off the highway, turning around, and driving the other direction, salvation is the entire process of getting onto the right path and continuing on that path – it means following Christ.
Jesus told a parable about a king who had a wedding feast for his son. He invited many but they made excuses for not coming, so the king invited everyone from the streets. A man came in without wearing wedding clothes, so the king had him tied hand and foot and thrown outside. The king invited the man, but he did not want to change. God invites everyone to live in His kingdom, but not everyone is chosen.
In Acts, Luke tells of a time the apostles preached in a city and many believed and were baptized including a sorcerer named Simon. When Peter and John came later, they found that even though Simon believed and was baptized, his heart was still not right before God. Simon was no longer defined by sin but by what Jesus had done in his life. He needed to stop acting and thinking as a sinner and begin thinking and acting as Christ.
Salvation is not one single prayer or one altar call; it’s a life-long commitment to following God. You can’t earn salvation, but you also can’t be the same person you were before God entered your heart and still follow Christ.
Are you defined by your sin, or are you defined by the transformation Christ has made in you? Have you been living your life however you want hoping a prayer from years ago was enough? Are you ready for Christ to daily transform you and bring you closer to Him?
Read further:
Ephesians 6; Philippians 2:12; Matthew 22:1-14; Acts 8:9-25
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