Salvation through Relationship

The most spectacular preaching, the most profound statements, the best feel-good atmosphere and the most forceful demands are null and void if the focus of all words and thoughts are not on the shed blood of Jesus Christ, which gives us the forgiveness of our sins. Religious emotion is no substitute for the remission of sin, death and the devil! The Bible says it very clear and without any misunderstanding: “Without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22)! You may think what you want, but it is a spiritual, biblical and thus divine fact. Whoever regards the blood of Jesus Christ as insignificant or even impure, and thereby tramples upon the Son of God, will have to bear his (hard) judgement, regardless of what he is like and how religious he is (Hebrews 9:28). There are even statements by non-Christian religions, that generally argue that such a thing as salvation was not even necessary – here the devil has already done quite a job. We humans have a deadly virus within us, an incurable disease and a psychological dependency towards death, which pulls us inevitably into misery and ruin and disqualifies us before God in every manner. Without exception, there is nothing good to be found in us (Romans 3:22-24). We have a huge deficit of truth, purity, goal, identity, relationship and future. Our lives and the purpose of our existence is wasted without a cheerful and sacred relationship to our Creator and Father of all good things. “God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31) God did not make sin, it belongs entirely to us and means something like “missing the target”. Without faith and the desire for redemption from our sin, our lives are lost and meaningless.

God does not make mistakes, but He can and wants to afford every person a new beginning through the Gospel. Here is the invitation: “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17). “Sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). The enemy has an uncanny interest that Christians continue to sing their songs piously and live out the feel-good Gospel, as long as the cross, the blood and the forgiveness of sin plays a subordinate role. When the gifts of the Spirit and the program and everything surrounding it (as appealing as it may be) does not make us aware of the grace and redemption from eternal ruin through salvation, then we may be well-entertained, but not blessed. Sometimes we may long for more love and trust in God, and are unsure how to obtain it? Occupy yourself in the Spirit of truth, with that which Jesus Christ did for you on the cross at Calvary. Discover the eternal dimension of God's grace and God's love, and their far-reaching consequences for your life here and in eternity. Then you will be more and more blessed and begin to understand who God is. Then your soul will be touched and smiled upon by God Himself. There lies the source of all love and all trust – now and in all eternity! The way, the truth and the life in God and to God and through God – is only valid in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour (John 14:6).

Jörg Bauer