Connect to Jesus Christ

Romans 1:9 states "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." According to this scripture, if one simply proof texted it -- meaning they took it out of context and focused one that one single verse on which to base doctrine--one could say that all we had to do to be saved would be to declare that Jesus is the Christ and that He was resurrected. As important as that is, it is certainly not enough to save us.
 In Greek, the word "confess" would more accurately be defined as "covenant" or "connect. So although it's important to confess that Jesus is the Christ and believe on Him and His Atonement, salvation comes from connecting ourselves to Him. When we live our lives in harmony with His life and teachings, we become more like Him and therefore will be worthy to receive salvation.We must do more than confess; our lives should be a greater example of our conversion to the Lord than our words.

Good Works

Romans 2:13 states, "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified". In class on Thursday we discussed faith and works and why they're important. Brother Griffin stated that works won't save us, but they will bring us closer to Christ which will then make us more like Christ. Becoming more like Christ and coming unto Him are what save us, meaning that faith and works are necessary, but it's because of their outcome. This changes the way I see good works to letting them change me and make me better. We can all let our works change who we are, not just what we do.

The Shoes of a Soldier

As we studied the crucifixion of Christ this week, I thought of something interesting from John 23:34. After Christ has been bruised, beaten, ripped apart, and mocked by the Roman soldiers, He implores His Father on their behalf. While they are in the act of parting Christ's raiment and casting lots, Jesus prays, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." As soon as I read that, suddenly I stood in a soldier's shoes as I came to the pearly gates of heaven and looked into the eyes of the very man whose identity I had marred beyond recognition to be judged of Him. To know what I had done and to finally fully understand what I had done, then to remember vaguely hearing Him use one of His final breaths to pray on my behalf would be too painful to bear. Yet I know that if I were that soldier, as I was bowing at His feet begging for forgiveness, my kind, tender, loving Savior would lift me up and bestow an undeserving amount mercy upon me. We are not much different than the soldiers. Let us be more aware of what we are doing, the affect we may have on others, and the affect we may have on ourselves. Come unto Christ, be saved, be forgiven; repent and forgive as your Redeemer so mercifully forgives you.