I Don’t Think Jesus Discriminates

Jesus came to earth to seek and save the lost.   God created all of us to be eternal beings – that means we were created to live forever; however, that contract becomes invalid when we turn our back on God and try to go our own way.  That’s what it means to be lost.  We have lost our way when we turn our back on God.  When we turn our back on God, we are no longer eternal beings and are appointed a time to die.  That transgression is corrected when we trust Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  When we turn our back on this world and believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus as payment for our misdeeds, we are saved from our death sentence and once again granted eternal life.

“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”  Romans 10:9

Salvation

This offer of salvation is not limited to any certain group of people.  Jesus does not discriminate; anyone and everyone is able to receive this precious gift from God.  We’ve all heard the song that says, “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!”  which drives home the point that no matter how deep you are in the devil’s playground, you can still be saved by the grace of God.  Salvation is not something we earn – it’s a gift from God.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”  Ephesians 2:8

Faith

Our faith in Jesus is what saves us – nothing else.  People who don’t go to church can be saved, people who go to a church we don’t agree with can be saved, people who live a life we don’t agree with can be saved, people who we don’t like can be saved.  Salvation is a spiritual connection to Jesus that resides in the heart of the believer.  It’s impossible for anyone other than Jesus to easily detect who is honestly and sincerely a Christian, and who is only going through the motions.  In the eyes of Jesus, we are all the same – equally valuable – equally deserving.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  Galatians 3:28

Fruits of the Spirit

Of course there are identifying characteristics of true followers of Jesus.  These are known as the fruits of the Spirit.  In John 15:5, Jesus tells us He is the vine and we are the branches that will grow fruit generated from our connection to Him.  As believers, these fruits should be our central focus every minute of every day.  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”  (Galatians 5:22-23)  We can’t go wrong when we point ourselves in this direction each day.  And when we see these traits in others, it’s a clear indication they too, are sincere followers of Jesus.

Amazing Grace

Absolutely anyone can come to Christ for salvation.  Jesus does not discriminate.  As followers of Jesus, we should have the same heart for the lost as Him.  We should be willing to share our faith with anyone who will listen.  We should rejoice with anyone who declares their sincere love for Jesus – even those outside our comfort zone.  Like Jesus, we should want the whole world to receive his amazing grace.

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Knowing the Will of God