"I don't need to be saved..."

Jesus is not a good luck charm. He is not a prescription for life enhancement. He is the Savior. But often I hear people say, "I don't need to be 'saved'..."

Part of the problem is that most of these people think that being "saved" means being rescued from their current miserable life. If things are going fine now (or even just moderately well) and they think Jesus is all about life enhancement, then this statement makes sense. However, that is not what Jesus "saves" people from.

Quite bluntly, Jesus saves people from Hell. In many cases, salvation from Hell produces radical life changes in this present life. But you need not be addicted to heroin to need to be "saved". In order to need to be "saved", you must be a Law breaker. If you've never broken the Law, then you need not fear Hell.

God's moral law can be easily summed up in the 10 Commandments (found in Exodus 20). Here's the short version:

1. No other gods but YHWH
2. No idols
3. No misuse of the name of YHWH (blasphemy)
4. Keep the Sabbath holy
5. Honor mom and dad
6. Do not murder
7. Do not commit adultery
8. Do not steal
9. Do not lie
10. Do not covet

Keep in mind that these are God's commandments. They are not suggestions. They are not the "10 it would be nice if you got around to it's". They are commands from the Creator of the universe. Our human notions of justice demand that law breakers receive punishment. God's Law is no different.

Have you ever used "Jesus" or "God" in any way other than what brings honor to them? Ever used these names as a cuss word? Jesus said, But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken (Matthew 12:36).

Perhaps you've never blasphemed ... have you ever misled another person? You may call it a "white lie" or a "half-truth" or "fib" ... but God's Word calls it lying. In fact, if I walked up to you and told you a "half-truth" and you caught me in it, what would you call me? If you can see that I'd be a liar, what makes it any different for you?

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)

This is bad news. The sexually immoral are on this list too. You may say, "I've never committed adultery, and that's the only sexual commandment listed!" Jesus said, You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:27-28). Ouch. Apparently, God's standard holds us accountable in word, thought, and deed ... not just deed like our human authorities.

That's only three of the commandments (blasphemy, lying, and adultery), there are seven more. Maybe you've broken these three ... but you may say, "I haven't broken all of them ... at least I'm not a murderer!" Jesus said, You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment (Matthew 5:21-22). Jesus is putting anger on the same par with murder. The bible tells us in 1 John 3:15a, Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer.... Remember, our thoughts and attitudes are judged too. What's the verdict of having hatred towards our brother? The verse continues, ...and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him (3:15b).

So how'd you do according to these commandments? Perhaps you've done better than me (I've broken each commandment, if not in deed then in word or thought), but God's Word doesn't give much hope for anyone who's broken even one commandment: For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10). If we've broken one commandment, according to God's judgment we're guilty of all of it.

But what if you've done a bunch of good stuff ... won't that outweigh the bad? Would a human judge allow a murderer off the hook, simply because he gave a bunch of money to charity or served food at a soup kitchen twice a week? Of course not! Do you get credit for not robbing a bank every time you go? No! You just get punished if you do rob it.

Jesus said, Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty (Luke 17:9-10). We don't get credit for being kind to one another or abstaining from overt acts of sin ... we're commanded to do those things!

Our attempts to persuade God with our "good deeds" so that he'll overlook our transgressions will never work. A parent guilty of neglect of their children couldn't bribe the judge by saying, "Come on judge, I fed my kids every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday ... surely that's good enough for you to overlook my crimes!" We don't get credit for doing what we're supposed to do.

Salvation isn't about happiness, it's about righteousness. Every one of us will die some day, and when we die we will face judgment (see Hebrews 9:27 and Proverbs 11:4).

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).

Be reconciled to God. Today can be the day of your salvation. Jesus is alive today, and if you've trusted in Him for you salvation you can be confident that you will be saved on the Day of Judgment (see Romans 10:9-13). Read your bible everyday and get involved in a local church.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness (2 Peter 3:10-13).

Hallelujah.