Oversleeping your salvation

Sorry for my long absence. Life wasn't „normal“ for a while. But I hope to pick this blog up in regular matter some time in the future. Until then I hope to post somewhat regularly...

John 12:42-50

Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment – what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

Can you oversleep your salvation?

When I woke up today, on Good Friday, it was already 11:30 am. As the Bible tells us, Jesus was crucified some time around then. So if I had been living during the time Jesus walked on earth, I would have overslept the whole ordeal. Not living in Israel on top of that I wouldn't have known of it at all. I might have heard of it years later when someone like Paul brought the good news to the “nations” - everyone outside Israel.

So even years later I could still receive salvation through believing in who Jesus is and what he did for me. Does that mean I can't oversleep my salvation?

Yes, I can.

Humans live about 100 years on average. Once you're dead, you can't decide whether or not to accept Jesus' gift of redemption. So you can indeed “oversleep” your salvation by pushing the decision further and further into the future until it's too late.

What do I need to do to get saved?

Jesus said:

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. (John 11:25) Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.” (John 6:47)

Romans 10:9-13

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Believe that Jesus is the son of God, the Christ, and that he died for you to cleanse you from your sin forever.

Acts 2:37-39

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

Repent – acknowledge the sin (everything against god's will) in your life, ask God for forgiveness about it and turn away from your old, sinful ways with God's help.

If you don't get your life straight with God through Jesus' help, you will oversleep your salvation and might wake up once it's too late to come to God.

But let's look at the text from the beginning:

Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

Many believed in Jesus but didn't dare to stand up for it because they were afraid to lose their status, their position, their good relationships. Just a quick reminder that Jesus also said “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:33)

And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me.

So whoever believes in Jesus believes in God, Jahwe, our creator.

And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.

This is great! Because so often we have a wrong picture of how God is. Is he the strict judge, always out to catch us doing any forbidden thing? Or is he the old grandpa up in heaven, letting everyone in once they died despite of what they might have done during life? Is he all soft or all hard? How is God? Look at Jesus! Jesus said whoever sees him, sees God (who has sent him). He also said that the father (God) is in him and he is in the father. So when we look at Jesus, we see how God is. It's worth looking at Jesus' life and person, it will bring you closer to God.

Only some aspects I have found:

Loving, caring, not abiding by any rules or standards that rule whatever time, personal, strong, healing, forgiving, standing up for the oppressed, speaking his mind, sinless, hope-giving.

I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

Light in the darkness. Come to the light and you will see. Colors, shapes, details. Everything that was once hidden in the darkness.

If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

That's what I meant with “oversleeping your salvation”.

For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment – what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

Isn't it good to know that “his commandment is eternal life”? That God's wish for us is to have eternal life with him? 

I'll try to think about that when Easter comes, reminding us of Jesus' resurrection and victory over sin and death. So that in his death we may share to be dead for our sins, but in his resurrection to have eternal life in him. 

Living forever in the glory of our loving Father. 

That's what Easter is about. 

Isn't that good news?