Category Archives: Christian Life

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Salvation of a Soul

What makes a Christian a Christian?

A Christian is a believer in Christ Jesus, someone who has accepted Christ’s gift of salvation. They believe Jesus died for their sins, that He was buried and then rose again. Their belief is personal, and life changing. Christ is now the most important part of their life. They’re changed from the inside, out.  They are a new creature in Christ.

Christians are born again. They’re “saved” people, saved from condemnation. They’re in the Beloved. Christians are redeemed. Christ has redeemed their soul from death. He paid the price for their sins when he died on the cross. Their salvation was purchased by Jesus’ shed blood. Their redemption was costly. It cost God His son. It cost Christ His life. They were lost (as unbelievers), but now they’re found (as believers). “Christ in you the hope of glory,” says it well.

Becoming a Christian is making a decision for Christ that starts at one point and continues for the rest of their life. They are a new creature in Christ. The rest of their life is spent becoming Christ-like in their spirituality, and in service to Christ the Son, and God the Father. The Spirit of God is actively helping them as they navigate through this life.

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Here are some verses that explain why we need salvation. As you browse these verses, ask yourself, what does this verse mean and how does it apply in my life.

Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.  -Acts 16:31

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

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  -Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  -Romans 6:23

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  -Romans 5:8

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.  -Romans 10:9-10

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  -Romans 10:13

Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ – John 3: 6, 7

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For further clarification, let’s look at a story from scripture. Here we see Jesus with Nicodemus. “‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!'”

I encourage you to read  John 3:1-21, here Jesus explains to Nicodemus what salvation is and why it matters. When Nicodemus asked Jesus how a person could be born again in his mother’s womb, he was thinking of physical birth. Jesus explains what spiritual birth is and that without it, we are condemned for we do not have the light of Jesus in our soul.

Spiritual life is in those who believe in Christ. These people are redeemed, Christ redeemed them (their soul). They are a child of God.

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.  -John 20:31

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You may not know Christ as your Savior. You’re reading this post out of curiosity. Simply put, you can know today and you can believe today. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. This is the most important decision you will ever make. It will determine your destiny here on earth, and in heaven. Your belief comes from the heart, confirmed by the mind, and of the will as you place your trust in God through Christ.

I leave with you a passage of scripture which clearly defines the gospel of Christ. The apostle Paul was writing to the church at Corinth.

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

1 Corinthians 15: 1-4

Why this message? I care about your soul, and I care about you. I care about your life in the present, and your life in the future hereafter.

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I wish you well on your spiritual journey.

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My Spiritual Awakening

Developing an inner life with Christ at the center has made all the difference for me. This spiritual practice changed me. I was softening and growing. I was absorbing scripture as I read it. I was increasingly open and honest while reading the Word and seeking God’s face.

Scripture took on a new freshness. I was seeing things as I read that I had not seen before. My perspective altered, little by little. My prayer life took a new turn. My focus was on God as an entity close and personal, who was interested in my prayers, who desired my fellowship, who was engaged in my human struggle, my humanity.

A raw intimacy with God began to grow, borne of increasing familiarity with him and his ways. In a sense, it was like I was being rebirthed as God initiated his divine presence and holiness actively in my life.

Of course, I didn’t realize what was happening to me at the time. All I knew was I was hungry for God. Little did I know, God was awakening me. Everything was significant as things in my world took on new meaning. I was seeing them with new eyes, with the eye of faith.

“The bursting bud, the flow’ring tree, … are miracles we all can see. A life can change, from cruel pain, like sunshine after rain. My heart believes in miracles. O, I believe in God” is how my mother’s mother, Faith Swihart Weigold, wrote it in a song she composed, one that my sisters and I sang as a trio (above picture) and am quoting from memory.

God is doing a beautiful miracle in our lives. We are wise when we embrace his loving touch. Pain comes as we see ourselves with honesty. He is making us new. He has to carve away the stuff that is a hindrance in us. We become more aware of our sin the closer we draw near to God. Then we can deal with it. We are becoming more spiritually sensitive. As a result, we are uncomfortable when our sin causes separation in our relationship. We miss our closeness with God. We will actively initiate steps to restore intimate fellowship with him.

How I see it, we learn, grow and “become” in layers. We also heal, layer by layer, through removing, cleansing, refreshing, embracing, and awakening. Sometimes we get hurt. What we do with our hurt is what matters in the long run. Something is always being discovered, then implemented in our spiritual journey.

Just thought I’d share a few thoughts with you that I’ve been pondering lately.

I wish you well on your spiritual journey.