When Did You Get Saved?

I heard this woman talking about how her 10-year-old son 'got saved' two years ago, but she was worrying about them 'losing him' because of some recent behavior. This just hurt my heart, man. There is something so neurotic about this kind of Christian faith. There is this underlying fear about whether or not someone is 'saved' and whether one will lose one's salvation. It puts so much stock in human decision-making and our own power. The ironic thing was that this woman was just talking about trusting in God's power and not our own, how we can 'handle anything' if we trust in God and not ourselves. But, aren't you just trusting in your own power to trust God? Doesn't this get us into some kind of vicious, and again neurotic circle? It certainly looks that way to me.

This is exactly the pattern of behavior Jesus was sent to save us from. The pre-occupation of some Jews with minute rules and following them, the pre-occupation with the Jews' place as God's people over and above other people, this is everything that Jesus and Paul were aiming their teaching against. It certainly is opposed to the message of the New Testament as it is received today. Quit worrying about whether you believe enough. Quit worrying about who is 'saved' and who isn't. We are called to have faith in God, not faith in faith (as I have said before). Just relax, and know that God has it all, and I mean it ALL in hand. This is the appeal of universalism for me.

When was I saved? Um, just under two thousand years ago on Calvary. That was what the cross was all about. The very idea that I have to wonder about that contradicts the need to believe that God truly loves and cares for me. Just accept the fact that God loves and cares for us, that He suffered and died so we wouldn't have to worry about our salvation, about anyone's salvation. Tell of the love and joy God can bring into your life, what relationship with Jesus is like. Invite people into the Christian community and let your life be a sermon. Yes, evangelize on every level. But quit worrying about your salvation. It isn't yours to worry about. That isn't yours, or anyone else's. It's Gods.