You may know what “Precious” means if you are a fan of The Lord of the Rings. Gollum had a way of asking “what’s it mean precious” when speaking to himself. Gollum was possessed and conversed with those who possessed him, which is not far-fetched. In my first podcast, “My Story,” I mentioned that my stepfather would have conversations at the kitchen table with invisible people or, should I say, demonic forces. Many would say he was not well, but that is an easy explanation when looking to escape the truth. Unless you experienced such events, you would not have considered that there may be spiritual forces at work that we cannot see. Radio waves pass undetected before our eyes, supported by the fact that a radio station broadcasts the invisible signal.
Salvation, what does it mean? Salvation is a word tossed around so lightly that one barely gives it the time of day it deserves. Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines salvation as such, “1 a: deliverance from the power and effects of sin, b: the agent or means that effects salvation, c Christian Science: the realization of the supremacy of infinite Mind overall bringing with it the destruction of the illusion of sin, sickness, and death.”[1] I do not endorse or ever use Merriam-Webster as my go-to for a dictionary because it does not possess the wisdom of God when spewing out limited knowledge, especially in the area of salvation. By the way, how in the world did Christian Science get into the mix of defining salvation? There is only One who provides salvation, and there is only one place to find it: The Holy Bible. To prove a point, look at some of these limited ideas of salvation in recent posts included in Merriam’s definition spread.
“Through the act of caring for a friend, Teresa begins a journey of salvation. —Jamie Lang, Variety, 18 Aug. 2024.”[2] Although caring for a friend is commendable, it does not lead to salvation. Thinking of salvation as something earned through our efforts is a dead end. We should be wary of thinking that we can achieve perfection and never fall short.
“Protestantism’s obsession with human sinfulness and the arbitrariness, meaning determined by chance, of salvation exposed the self only more acutely to the battleground of warring deities. —James Wood, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024. Obsession? The God of the universe, the focus of your Creator, is enveloped in a profound love that can only be fully comprehended once individuals repent and surrender their lives to Jesus Christ. Until then, they are missing out.
What is salvation, and “what does it mean precious?” First, John chapter five verse thirteen says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13, NIV). One of the first steps to understanding salvation is believing in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Before we move forward, let us first examine what salvation is not.
Is salvation provided for a person who simply believes in Jesus?
The demons believed that Jesus was the Son of God, so there is more to it than just believing. Speaking of two demon-possessed men, “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” (Matthew 8:29, NIV). Believing that Jesus is the Son of God is a part of receiving the revelation and redemption in Jesus Christ. If raised in a Christian family, can I say Salvation is mine? According to the Scriptures, no. A misguided theologian, Sergio Arce of the Presbyterian Church in Cuba, later dismissed, stated, “I (Arce) said: “I am a Christian because my parents were Christians.”[3] Salvation is not provided because a person grows up in a Christian home. In future podcasts, we will learn how Arce was instrumental in conforming theology to the Communist Revolution.
What prevents us from attaining the salvation God offers as a gift?
Remember earlier in this insight what the Protestant’s obsession is? Yes, “human sinfulness,” in which Jesus was clear that a person would die in their sins if they did not heed His warning. “I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24, NIV). Mr. Woods, your wisdom does not appear on the radar next to the King of Kings, Jesus. The issue you have with a believer in Jesus Christ about sin is with Him, and once you repent, you will understand.
Everyone, regardless of their background or status, is guilty of committing a sin as stated by the Apostle Paul, “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22-23, NIV). No one can escape the fact that what we hold in common is that a sin was committed at some point in their lives. Wait! There is good news.
God loves you with an everlasting love.
Sin separates us from knowing the love of God, but Jesus said it best, “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” (John 3:16, NIV). The love described in this verse is entirely given over in complete surrender. Jesus went willingly as a sacrifice because of His love for the world, meaning the people in it, but it is a revelation that must be acknowledged and received. Jesus is the door to salvation, and there is no other way. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, NIV).
Jesus Paid for Our Sins
Jesus paid for your sins and purchased a place in heaven for you as the Scriptures state, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5, NIV). This verse is from an Old Testament book called Isaiah, a prophecy of what the coming Messiah would face. The exciting thing about the book of Isaiah was found in 1946, “Dating from ca. 125 BCE, it is also one of the oldest of the Dead Sea Scrolls, some one thousand years older than the oldest manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible known to us before the scrolls’ discovery.”[4] The Isaiah prophecy scroll was written 130 years before Jesus appeared on the scene.
Salvation is a Rescue
Salvation is a rescue and a release from the grip of sin over a person’s life. Salvation is to be born again and set free from the bondage of sin, but those who repent and accept Jesus as Lord have eternal life in Him. You have a relationship with the Creator of the universe, Jesus Christ that assures you eternal life and your salvation. Bury today the sins of the past and arise in Christ; it is what the Bible calls a new creation, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV). If there were anything you may want to obsess over, that would be it. Do not gamble on your eternal salvation; you know where gambling leads. If you are unsure where to begin, read this prayer by King David in Psalm 51.
The Sinner’s Prayer from Psalm 51
“1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know
my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done
what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. 5 Surely I
was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Yet you desired faithfulness
even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. 7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will
be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you
have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 10 Create in me a
pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or
take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing
spirit, to sustain me. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to
you. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue
will sing of your righteousness. 15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
18 May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then you will delight in
the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your
altar” (Psalm 51, NIV).
[1] Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “salvation,” accessed September 12, 2024, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salvation.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Gregory Baum, “The Church and Socialism: Reflections from a Cuban Context,” 3.
[4] The Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa), Qumran Cave 1, 1st century BCE, Parchment H: 22-25, L: 734 cm, Government of Israel, Accession number: HU 95.57/27 dss.collections.imj.org.il/Isaiah.