WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO BE SAVED!

What is salvation really about?

What does it really mean to be saved?

True transformation, salvation, belonging to God needs and ought to be a spiritual experience. It cannot be something external only. A change of behavior. Following a set of rules. Doing things that seem right for the purpose of attaining something. In this case, staying out of trouble, doing "godly and good things", behaving better than others, or following a set of laws and rules for the sake of earning salvation, justification or eternity in heaven

True salvation, true conversion, true transformation happens at the heart level. At the deepest part of who we are. At the core of our beings.

The question to ask of a Christian, whether a new believer or a veteran one is this…DOES HE HAVE MY HEART?

DOES HE OWN MY SOUL?

MY WILL?

MY EMOTIONS?

MY THOUGHTS?

DESIRES?

WANTS?

PASSIONS?

PLANS?

FUTURE?

Is my every thought filtered through the filter of His love, righteousness, desires, will, purposes, truth???

TRUE HOLINESS MEANS THAT WE HAVE HOLY THOUGHTS, MOTIVES, FEELINGS, ETC.

Is everything you do motivated by a passion to please Him? Otherwise nothing that we do, accomplish or attain is acceptable to Him.

We cannot obtain, attain, or earn God's approval by our own means ever!!! Striving, trying, working hard at being good will never get us anywhere!

As we grow into maturity in Christ, we ought to be transformed in our desires, wants, and passions!

Whenever anything stands in competition with your enjoyment of Him and the relationship we have with Him, we should reject it and even hate it!

THE MEASURE OF YOUR SURRENDER GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THE MEASURE OF YOUR FAITH AND BUYOUT IN TO WHO HE SAYS HE IS AND WHAT HE'S DONE AND PROMISED!!!

SO, WE CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT ETERNITY, CHRISTIANITY OR HOLINESS BEFORE WE OWN OUR FAITH AND ARE FULLY CONVINCED ABOUT IT!

AND AS CHRISTIANS, OUR CALLING, PRIVILEGE AND OUR GIFT IS TO GROW INTO THE FULL MEASURE OF MATURITY IN CHRIST!!!

WE CANNOT STAY AS A BABY. WE HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN. BUT A BABY IS BORN AND GROWS. HE GRADUATES INTO NEW STAGES AS HE GROWS AN DEVELOPS.

CAN YOU IMAGINE A BABY GROWING UP BUT NEVER LEARNING HOW TO TALK? OR WALK? OR GO POTTY?

OR THAT NEEDS TO BE SPOON-FED ALL THE TIME, EVEN WHEN THEY'RE TEENAGERS OR ADULTS?

HOW ODD AND WRONG WOULD THAT BE?

IT'S THE SAME WITH US AS CHRSITIANS. WE OUGHT TO GROW UP, MATURE AND LEARN AS WE MOVE ALONG IN OUR SPIRITUAL LIVES!!!

LIVING BY THE SPIRIT, BEING IN CHRIST!!! THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS.

ROMANS 8:1-17 LIVING BY THE SPIRIT! ONLY THIS WAY!!!