THE REST OF THE STORY
Salvation does not end with a person’s confession of faith in Jesus; that is only the beginning.
by NAOMI CASSATA A
S A CHILD, I never thought much about serving God, even though I grew up in a Christian home. I assumed
Christianity was for adults only. My thinking changed when I turned 14. I attended a youth Christian summer camp, and as the youth pastor talked about what Jesus did for us, something began to tug at my heart. I had heard the gospel message countless times before, but for some reason it now made sense to me. I needed a Savior because I was a sinful person.
Before this, I never acknowledged myself as a sinner, but the veil was lifted and my eyes opened. I needed to be saved. I went to the altar and poured my heart out to God. As tears rolled down my cheeks, I asked Jesus to forgive me and come inside. I remember feeling so clean afterward, as if I was a new person. When I went home from camp, the Bible became my constant companion. Before giving my heart to God, I never even had a desire to read the Bible, but now I could hardly put it down! My behavior changed as well. I could no longer listen to secular music or cheat on tests at school. My whole outlook changed when I accepted my Savior. I was now a Christian.
26 EVANGEL • AUG 2010
What does it really mean to be a Christian? The definition of Christian- ity has been lost in our present culture. Becoming a Christian has been reduced to repeating a prayer with no other obli- gations to follow. Many feel there are no requirements to being a Christian and to
say otherwise would be “religious” or try- ing to achieve salvation through works. Romans 10:9 says if we believe in Jesus and confess our belief in Him, salva- tion is ours. However, Christianity does not end here; it only begins. To stop here would be like God explaining to Noah that He was about to flood the earth but giving him no further instructions. There is more to the story—God told Noah how to build an ark. The same is true with sal- vation. Once we recognize our sinfulness, believe that Jesus died for us, and confess our belief in Him, we must search the Word for the rest of the story. With salvation comes newness of life—that is the rest of the story. “If any- one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV). When someone becomes a Christian, he or she will desire to know God and to follow the path in life that leads nearer to Him. This hap- pens through Bible reading, spending time with God in prayer, honoring Him with one’s actions, and worshiping Him wholeheartedly.
Naomi Cassata lives in Callahan, Florida.
THE KEYS TO ETERNAL LIFE
CHRIST PAID for our salvation with His death on the cross, but for us to accept this gift is as simple as using these keys to unlock the door:
Acknowledge you have sinned
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).* “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Believe in Jesus
“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 who- ever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Confess and renounce your sin
“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
*Scriptures are from the New International Version.
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