The Electronic Exhorter
July 8, 1999

Sometimes I'm afraid that we take a rather Calvinistic view of our salvation.  Since we were "smart" enough to have obeyed what the Bible taught concerning salvation, we feel that we are safe and have permanently secured our name in the Book of Life.  Now, we feel, there is really nothing more for us to do than to keep careful watch over the checklist in our heads.  You know the one I am referring to, the one that has upon it attend services semi-regularly, put in a portion of income in the collection plate each week, and try to stay out of trouble.  Well, friends, I'm afraid that isn't good enough.  Jesus said concerning our checklist, "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do'" (Luke 17:10).  In other words, if we are only doing what is required of us without offering that second-mile service demonstrated by Christ, we are unprofitable because we are attempting to get by on the least amount of work possible.  Our checklist may make us better than the world but it doesn't secure eternal life for us.

Paul, therefore, said, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12b).  Yes...work.  Salvation is always a work in progress.  Just because we are third or fourth generation Christians doesn't mean a thing!  If we happen to live in the Bible belt where there are tons of congregations of the Lord's Church, it doesn't mean a thing!  Since each of us are going to give that personal account of our life before God (cf. Romans 14:12; Ecclesiastes 12:14), we must personally work to ensure that heaven will be our home.

It's true that God's grace will have to overlook some things because we all sin and fall short of God's glory.  But are we giving that grace too much credit?  No, I'm not saying that we have to earn our salvation.  We can't do that.  God had to extend a way to us to achieve salvation.  But, none of us were really even worth saving (cf. Romans 6:5-8).  And, so, our Christian lives are lives of servitude to Christ.  We are indebted to Him for paying the expensive price of salvation for us.  We work on this earth so that God will receive the glory (cf. Matthew 5:16).  And, we keep on working even though it sometimes seems like we are making no progress (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:58).

The day we become satisfied with the level we've attained in our Christian life is truly a day most deadly for our spirit.  We esteem ourselves more highly than we ought.  Thus the admonition, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12).  Our complacency will be our undoing.  Thus, we need constant introspection.  "Am I really pleasing to God or am I just getting by with what I think is pleasing to God?"  There is a huge difference between the two.  And, as Paul suggested, this is a process requiring our fear and trembling.  If we stop working, God has the power to send our spirits to an eternity in hell!  We should never loose sight of that.  Some might think that a rather negative motivation for proper conduct.  And, while true that love is the greatest, most noble motivation for obedience, not all of us have matured enough to have adopted that as our motivation.  Not to mention that, though God is love (cf. 1 John 4:16), the Scriptures also say that, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31).

So...are you working at it?  Or are you satisfied with what you have become?  Do you see the need for constant improvement?  Or do you think yourself above reproach and safe in your current manner of life?  Keep the checklist...but also give the second-mile service.  Be a profitable servant to [the] Lord.

Have a great day!

Brent Pollard