The Choice is Yours!

Like many of you that are Christians, we are all faced with the thoughts of Salvation. What is the process? What part does the Holy Spirit play in in the conversion of the sinner into the saint? What is the human element involved, if any? And finally – is this a once and done situation?

We know that before someone can be saved, they must be lost. Before they can become a saint they must admit they are a sinner.

Romans 3:10 There is none righteous, no, not one.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Yes, we all know that before we can be found, we must recognize we are lost.

Next we must all recognize we need a savior. We can do nothing on our own.

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

We all also know that to accept that salvation requires faith and submission to His lordship.

Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

We also know God calls everyone to be saved. He does not pick and choose and some would have you believe. He clearly tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

So, let’s get this straight. To become a Christian, 1) we must recognize we are sinners and unrighteous in the eyes of God. 2) because of that sin, we are doom to an eternal hell (the Bible calls it the second death), 3) if we desire to be saved, the Holy Spirit will convict us of sin and we will want to accept Jesus Christ as our God Sent Sacrifice in our place. and 4) if we repent of our sins and confess Him before others, we can and will be saved! No matter who you are or what you have done. He is not willing to let you perish if you turn to Him and ask.

Now that seems simple on paper, but all of us know it is more difficult to put into practice and make that choice as we grow older and love the world more than we love God.

We also have those who would spread false statements about the process. Some would have you do something as a sign that you were saved, others would have you believe that you have no choice in the matter. If God called you to be saved then you would be saved, and if He chose to not save you then you would not be saved. That, folks, is not in the Bible. It is not God’s plan as we clearly show. Let’s not get confused. While we were sinners, Christ died for us. When anyone comes to Him, He receives them as His own. There is a change in who you are. You are a new creature, born again as Jesus told Nicodemus. Do we have a part in this great salvation? Well, yes we do. We have to believe and repent and then receive. God does not override the human will. We are His servants because we choose Him. God predestined all those that would accept to go to heaven and all those that would reject to go to hell. That does not change you from being the one to make that choice.

Remember this verse from childhood that is still the great verse searched for year after year on the internet: John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Why not make that choice for yourself today?