There are many of the opinion that since Jesus died on the ‘Cross of Calvary’, He has paid the penalty of sin. Further, since He died for everyone, He has logically paid the penalty for mankind as a whole. They further argue that God is compassionate and merciful and will forgive all. As such no one shall burn in the lake of fire. There is no doubt that God is compassionate and merciful and at the same time, His justice is also perfect. In no way God is going to compromise His justice based on the argument of mercy and compassion. Such erroneous thinking only makes us sin more and ensures our place in the lake of fire.
The Scriptures tell us that, if salvation were based on our own efforts, no one could be saved: Romans 3:23 clarifies “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” This is also given in Romans 3:10 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” We cannot save ourselves. Instead, we are saved when we believe in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8–9 teaches, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” We are saved by God’s grace, and grace, by definition, cannot be earned. We do not deserve salvation; we simply receive it by faith.
Jesus clearly taught in John 3:16 that He will save anyone who believes in Him: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This “whoever” includes you and every other person in the world. God’s grace is enough to cover all sins. The Bible gives many examples of people who were saved from sinful backgrounds. I Corinthians 6:11 “You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God”.
The door to salvation is opened by taking the first step of repentance. The moment this realization dawns, we find hope. After we repent and confess our sins, God rejoices to forgive us. The Bible tells us in I John 1:19 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Jesus freely offers each of us the gift of total redemption from sin. 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. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.” Thus, we need to believe, accept and confess Jesus as our Saviour to be saved.
It’s our belief in Him and our choice for Him that allows us to be saved. And this comes to us free of charge. Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me.”
God’s grace extends to every person. Grace, the unmerited favour of an almighty God, is a free gift given to anyone who asks. Grace saves us. Accepting God’s gift means putting Him first. It means growing spiritually, with Him as our guide, into the person He created us to be.
Dr Ashwin Drummond
Laddertoheaven.co.in