Salvation: The Hope of the Nations

           This is a post I wrote, and I'm posting it here so it's easy to get to, because it is so important:

    This post has been on my heart ever since I started this blogging journey. I knew when I started a faith blog, that I would, of course, do a post on salvation. Salvation, I believe, is the hope of the nations. As Americans, we claim to be a Christian nation. And although "One Nation Under God" is still printed on dollar bills and is in our pledge, I question the Christian-ness of our nation. We need to be Jesus followers, because, in America, the definition of "Christian" has changed. I hope this post will change lives. If any post on this humble blog should go viral or even get (gasp) 100 page views (yeah, I'm small time), I would hope it would be this one. This post is so important, and my greatest fear is that I don't convey the message well. I want nothing more than for the world to come to Christ. And even if I write on this blog for 5 years and only one person is changed, it will be worth it.

      Okay, so let's start with the basics. The very definition of salvation is "to be saved from sin and its consequences." What is sin? "An immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law." Not the law of humans, but something divine. The only person fit to make those laws is someone who is perfect, or hasn't broken those laws. We don't let ex-cons make laws, do we? God is divine, God is perfect (Psalm 18:30), so therefore he hasn't broken those laws. God makes divine laws, and when we break them, we are sinning against Him. Now, if we made a list of all of these laws, it would be very long. However, they can be pretty well summed up in the ten commandments (Exodus 20:3-17): 1) you shall not have any gods before Me 2) do not worship idols 3) do not misuse the name of the Lord your God 4) Keep the Sabbath holy 5) honor your father and mother 6) do not murder 7) do not commit adultery 8) do not steal 9) do not give false testimony 10) do not covet anything. Simple right? It's harder than you think. Now, when I was typing those out, I wondered, "If I was a person who didn't know God, how would I be convinced to follow these rules?" I mean, if my life is going fine already, why add a new set of rules? And honestly, I don't have a good reason, except that God created you and He demands your worship. You are His, and maybe when you're going through a bad time, you will realize your need of a savior. But for the hurting: listen up! God heals your wounds. God cleanses you of your sins, washes you clean, and makes you new. How? In the Old Testament, the Israelites made sacrifices to atone for their sins. But, in the opening of the New Testament, the ultimate sacrifice comes to save us all: Jesus. To quote the most popular Bible verse of all time, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) Wow. So, if you give your life to Him, He will give you everlasting (eternal) life in a wonderful place called Heaven. (For great verses about Heaven, see Revelation 21:4, 22:1-5, and 1 Corinthians 2:9) Those going through difficult times can know that there is a greater place, where no tears will be shed but tears of joy. The Christians who had the greatest impact were the ones with their eyes on Heaven... (Francis Chan, not his exact words, but close, so I'll credit him) Okay, so you want Heaven. But that is only a benefit. Loving Him is the main thing. Believing in God just for Heaven, and not loving Him, is like you saying to your parents, "I don't love you, I didn't do my chores, but I want my allowance," and expecting to get an allowance.  (Francis Chan combined with Emily Luken, everyone) So, let's say you want this. You want to be cleansed, to be new, and to have wonderful eternal life. What do you do? Say this prayer, "God, I know I've made mistakes. I am sorry and now I put my faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Cleanse me, God, and make me new. Forgive me. Amen." There! Now you are a Christian, or, a Jesus-follower. What's next? Find a church that preaches the Bible, get connected, and spend time with God. (See my upcoming "Quiet Time" post for more on that) For access to the Bible, go to biblegateway.org. Now, go, and share the good news!

-Emily, for God
*Disclaimer: I am not an expert on salvation, nor do I claim to know everything about it. This is just God talking to me, and me trying to convey it in a simple, effective way.*