Have you ever wished that you could take back something you said? Undo something that was done in anger? Have you ever wished you could change the way you think or the way you act? Or maybe you have just accepted things and thought that "this is how I was born and I’ll just have to learn to live with it!"
Maybe you’re thinking now, “Salvation? I’ve tried that – I’ve asked to be saved, had my sins forgiven. But I still think and act in the same way as before! So what is the point of salvation?”
What would you do if you heard that there is a way out – a way to become truly good in your thoughts, words, and deeds? What if you heard that it is possible for you to become a new person, a new creation? We read in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new!” So, all of this is possible and there is one word for it – salvation!
The cycle of sin and forgiveness
The forgiveness of sins is a free gift because of Jesus’ death. It is a gift of grace that you do not deserve, but when you truly choose to live for God, repent, ask for your past sins to be forgiven, and return to God, immediately all wrong things you have done are forgiven. But how will you make sure that you don’t fall back in the same sins?
If you continue in the same thoughts, words and deeds as before, you will soon fall back in your old sins and you will again need forgiveness. Many Christians have accepted a life of sinning and receiving forgiveness over and over again simply because they have not found the way to break out of it.
But Jesus called us to a deeper salvation than just having our sins forgiven through Jesus’ death. “While we were God’s enemies, he made us his friends through the death of his Son. Surely, now that we are his friends, he will save us through his Son’s life.” Romans 5:10 (NCV). He wants us to follow the life that He lived while He was on earth.
Salvation asks for action!
The dictionary defines salvation as an act of saving, protecting or delivering. In other words, you have to take action to become saved! It isn’t enough just to want to be saved; you need to be willing to do what God tells you to do – to turn away from the wide path that leads to destruction toward the narrow way that leads to eternal life. (Matthew 7:14.)
In James 1:22 it’s written to “… be doers of the Word, and not hearers only …” There are many other verses in the Bible that use words such as: flee, lay hold of, put off, fight, etc. These are all words of action; words that clearly show that you must do something in order to change and come out of sin and become a “new creation in Him”. (2 Corinthians 5:17.)
Admit that you need help
As you begin to do what God asks of you, you will quickly see that on your own, you are unable to change anything, unable to break out of this endless cycle of forgiveness, sinning, forgiveness, sinning. The first step to breaking this cycle is to humble yourself and seek help. You will become completely dependent on God. He will help you if you admit that you cannot manage to do God’s will in your own strength.
Be honest with yourself: “Yes, I do get angry easily. Yes, I am jealous that my friend has a better job, better grades, more friends, or better looks. Yes, I have impure thoughts. Yes, I said those words to hurt someone because I don’t like them.” If you can’t even overcome these seemingly small things, how will you ever overcome in the really big trials?
If you are honest and admit these sins that you see in yourself and admit that you need help, then you can begin to change! This process of change is the deeper salvation through Jesus’ life – what the Bible calls sanctification, or being made holy. (Romans 5:10.) When you hate all those sinful things you find in yourself, you can get power through God’s Word and prayer to overcome them.
Work out your own salvation
When you really start hating the sins you see in yourself, then you will begin to be watchful during every hour of the day. As soon as you are tempted, you must go to action! This is what it means to “work on your own salvation with fear and trembling,” as we read in Philippians 2:12. Turn your thoughts to God’s Word; cry out to God for help to say "NO!" Then you can stop the thoughts before they come into your heart, or the words before you say them. You need to do this every time you are tempted.
“Let us, then, feel very sure that we can come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:16 (NCV). The time when you need help is before you have sinned – don’t let the temptation become sin!
When you take it this way, you will find that God’s promise that you can become a new creation begins to take place in you. The "old things" pass away, and all things become new. You become more and more free from your old, human way of doing things – free to serve God with your whole heart, and free to bless the others with your life!
As you make progress here, life will become more like heaven on earth and you will experience that God can save you to the uttermost as we read in Hebrews 7:25: “Therefore He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him …” You will come to a deeper salvation!