I was reading a book the other day and the author emphasized an idea that was stated in a way that sparked my thinking referring to the idea of salvation.
I can't remember the exact wording but in paraphrase it went something like the following:
In terms of salvation, a person should not desire so much the salvation from the consequence of sin, rather that one should be saved from sin itself.
This view of salvation, in terms of justification and sanctification, is holistic in its approach. One should not have the proclivity to just be set free from the consequence of sin, although this is part of the saving process. However, salvation is really the act of grace that saves us from the essence of sin and its reality of separating us from our Creator. It is sin that carries the consequence of separating us from God. It is sin that I need to be saved from. The consequence of sin is the aftermath of what has already corrupted my being. Being saved is not just a prayer that is said that grants one a "get out of jail free" card. This is not at all what salvation is, in essence. Salvation comes from being set free from sin itself. It is the casting off of the chains of sin that keep us from being reconciled from Christ himself.
It is because of sin that I need a Savior. Yes, I am saved from the consequence of sin (death and eternal separation from God), but I want to be saved from quintessence of sin itself. The pinnacle act of Christ did so much more than just save the world from the genocide of sin.
I am witnessing people right now that act as if salvation is just a card that gets them into heaven and aids them in escaping hell. This idea of salvation is damning. God did not sacrifice his Son so that we can continue to live apart from Him, but rather that our lives would be about being restored to our intended place of relationship with God. It tortures my heart when I watch people I love treat God and His offering of Jesus Christ like something worth merely nothing.
When we belittle God and His act of sacrifice on our behalf, we misinterpret and radically alter the essence of God's grace in the gift of salvation.
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