GPS ~ God's Plan of Salvation

I had thought that I might enjoy having one but I never dreamed that someone would give me a GPS! Much to my surprise, some of my children gave me a GPS for a Christmas present. A son took charge of getting the thing ready for me to use in my car. He put the address of a local business into the GPS and this lady’s voice instructed me when and where to turn in order to get to my destination as I looked at a map where I was to travel. In case you might not be familiar with this gadget, here is a brief definition: “The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. GPS was originally intended for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day.” Theoretically I should never get lost while traveling when I use my GPS.

In the beginning of man’s existence on earth he was in a safe place and in a perfect relationship with Jehovah God. In a sense man was not saved because he had never been in a lost condition. But he became estranged from his God and in a lost condition because of his disobedience to the commands given to him from God (Genesis 2:15-17; Isaiah 59:1, 2; Romans 5:12). However, in the darkest day of man’s existence in the beautiful Garden of Eden, God’s plan for man’s salvation is found in Genesis 3:15 when the “seed of woman” was mentioned. The “seed” is also referred to as being the “seed” of Abraham. The apostle Paul defined that “seed” as being Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:19, 16). The fact is, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God was referred to by John in Revelation 13:8 as being “slain from the foundation of the world.” The Lord God, in His infinite wisdom, foreknowledge and marvelous grace and love, planned aforetime to provide salvation for mankind through the death of His beloved Son (Hebrews 2:9; Ephesians 2:5, 8) John 3:16). Throughout the Old Testament there is the theme that ‘someone is coming’ and that being the promised Messiah who would bring salvation to the human race. Isaiah, the messianic prophet, prophesied hundreds of years before the coming of the Savior: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14); and His name was to be called Jesus “for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Jesus, in answering Thomas who asked Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:5, 6). The road map that leads to salvation and to the Father is found in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the only way (Acts 4:12)! So He says to all who would be His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). The way that Jesus leads us is “narrow” and “difficult” but the reward is eternal life (NKJV, Matthew 7:13, 14). God has given us the perfect and complete directions in His Holy Word that will lead us to Jesus Christ and salvation (Psalms 119:105; John 6:44, 45; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:2-4).

God’s plan of salvation certainly involves man’s response. A person must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (John 8:24); repent of sins (Acts 17:30) and based upon a confession of faith in Christ, be immersed in His name for the remission of sins (Romans 10:9, 10; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38). Following in the steps of the Savior we will never stray from the way that is infallibly safe and secure and that leads to “the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:10, 11). May our attitude always be as found in the song, “Where He Leads Me I Will Follow”.

A Heart Warming Story

You could not help but to be touched by the moving story related in the local newspaper a few years ago regarding a young boy’s death and his last request, that his heart be given to a girl he secretly loved. You see she was dying because her heart was malfunctioning. She faced certain death unless a donor could be found to give her a healthy heart. It was a true story that books are written about and movies are made. In a world wherein most of the news deals with crime, violence, threats of war, famines, earthquakes and other disasters, natural and man-made, it was so heart warming to hear of a tender story that made you feel sad and happy at the same time. It was sad because a young boy died, but happy that a young girl’s life had been prolonged.

There is another sweet story recorded in the Holy Scriptures that should move us to tears because of the death of a young man, Jesus of Nazareth, age 33. You see he knew that mankind was suffering from an awful malady. The sickness from which there was no earthly cure was a fatal heart disease called sin. The prophet Jeremiah described the symptoms in this manner: “The heart if deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it (Jeremiah 17:9)? The only remedy was the precious blood of the Lamb of God (Ephesians 1:7). But, this meant that Jesus would have to die for all men. His death on Calvary was not by accident. It was “by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23 ). Furthermore, the Lord willingly laid down his life for us (John 10:15, 17, 18). “Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13 ).

If you would be saved from sin and a fate worse than physical death, you must respond to heaven’s gift, the death of Jesus Christ on your behalf. Please consider that Jesus loved you and shed his precious blood for you nearly two thousand years ago. Please obey from the heart the gospel of Jesus Christ that you might be free from sin and that you might live a new life in the Lord (Romans 6:17, 18; 2 Corinthians 5:17 ).

If the story about the boy who died and donated his heart to a girl he loved so that she might live touches you, you should be moved emotionally at the tender story of Jesus and his love that motivated him to give his life on Calvary that you might be saved now from sin and have the hope of eternal life with Him and all the redeemed.

Drifting Away

The inspired writer of the book of Hebrews gave an exhortation in chapter two encouraging those early Christians to “…give more earnest heed to the things that were heard, lest haply we drift away from them.” There is a constant need to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and sound doctrine to every generation. There is the danger of the untaught not learning and of the taught drifting away from that which they have learned. The apostle Peter felt it necessary to remind his brethren of those essentials which they already knew (2 Peter 1:13; 3:1). Paul warned Timothy about a time when certain ones would no longer “endure the sound doctrine”, thus the need to “preach the word” continuously (2 Timothy 4:1-4). There is presently a yearning among many in the church to learn ‘new things’. Of course we should not extol traditions to a position of inspiration. Personally, I’m not interested in propagating mere tradition; however, there are objective truths revealed by the Holy Spirit that are essential and must studied, examined and proclaimed.

The desire to imitate other religious organizations in practice and teaching has caused many people to frown on the old ways of safety and security. Others, not studying the Holy Scriptures, are led away by “every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men in craftiness, after the wiles of error” (Ephesians 4:14). Often when one expresses a desire for ‘new things’, it is simply a rejection of ‘old truths’. Presently there is a prevalent attitude that the Bible is antiquated and should be relegated to the 18^th century. The 21^st century, they say, demands a more liberal view of the Holy Scriptures. In other words, our culture should determine the interpretation of the Word of God. What may have been acceptable in the first century is out of date in the thinking of modern men and women. Such rationalization has led to a digression and apostasy from the teaching of Jesus Christ and the holy apostles and prophets.

Oh that we today, as disciples of the Lord, would possess the same spirit as did the psalmist when he exclaimed in Psalms 119:97, “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.” His will for us to follow is both relevant and refreshing. Let us never grow weary in hearing the words of salvation. It gives strength and guidance in our earthly pilgrimage. And if obeyed, the promise of eternal life when the journey on earth is finished (2 Timothy 4:4-6)