Salvation

The Bible is a book written for everyone who wants to be saved, who has been called to the Kingdom of God. The Bible is a revelation of intentions of God’s plan to save mankind, and is a book which reveals the secrets that were set by God to save those who are willing to be saved. If one wants to be saved he has a free will to choose either to be saved or not to be saved. God calls and it is up to us to respond to the call or to ignore it. If you ignore, God will also ignore you. And if you accept, God will also accept you. Every day God is calling people to His kingdom. “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God …. Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (1 Corinthians 1:24,26)

The people who are called to the kingdom are all people, Jews and Gentiles. Not many of the wise of the world respond positively to the call. A Jew does not accept Jesus because a crucified Jesus is a stumblingblock; the Greeks do not accept Jesus because a crucified Jesus is foolishness.

We are still sent to preach Christ crucified, and those who hear what is preached and respond positively will still be saved. “And he said unto them, ‘Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15,16). “He that believeth” implies that it is a personal free will to accept or not, and he said that those who accept and are baptised, will be saved and those who do not believe will be damned. So it is a personal choice, to be saved or not to be saved. Free will: no-one is forced.

I urge you to read Ezekiel 33:4,5,8,9, so that everyone should know his position, either to take heed or not. As I am writing, I am taking my own position and you, the reader, have two positions: positive and negative, and if you choose positive, you will be saved. If you choose negative, you will be damned. Remember that we preach Christ crucified, still a stumbling block or foolishness to some people. But this very same man, Jesus Christ, is a power of God and the wisdom of God. So wise people choose the wisdom of God and take the power of God to themselves. By doing this, wise people accept Jesus Christ to be their saviour; they become a royal priesthood, a holy nation and a peculiar people. They will then show forth the praises of him who called them out of darkness into his marvellous light. In time past they were not a people but are now people of God; they had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy (1 Peter 2:9,10). All these benefits come to us if we are baptised.

“If you deny Jesus today, he will deny you” (2 Timothy 2:12). “The best thing that we have to do is: Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). But remember: “God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked” (Ezekiel 33:11). God wants everyone to be saved (John 3:16). Respond to His call positively to be saved. God is for everyone, Jews and Gentiles (Galatians 3:28-29). We are heirs according to the promise, if we are baptised.

Bro A D Liwawa (Neno, Malawi)