Salv11 Valuing your Salvation is a tract about how you need to estimate highly Jesus Christ and your salvation through him if you are really to be saved. We are saved by grace which God gives to us through our faith in Jesus the Savior. We are not saved by works. But also, the truly saved will love and highly esteem (place high priorities on the things of God) if they are truly saved.
. Contents
Valuing your Salvation
Highly Esteeming your Salvation.
By David Cox
[Salv11] v1 ©2009 www.coxtracts.com
You may freely photocopy and print this tract
Why do some people accept Jesus Christ, but with time, there is neither interest nor effort on their part to follow Christ? The Bible presents us with a picture of the new Christian as a newborn babe that once born, grows to maturity, greatly desiring the things of God, especially fellowship with God. But these supposed “Christians” are the opposite. They are born, and lack almost any sign of spiritual life, and then they die.
The reason for this is that they pray asking for salvation, but the actual having and living of that salvation is of little importance to them. They do what people tell them to avoid the punishment of hell, but truthfully they do not love Christ, and they never fully trust and rely on that personal relationship with Christ which is salvation. This is why we see a very distinct situation with a true Christian. He greatly desires God. Rather than liking being a part of the world’s crowd, he finds joy in associating and participating with the redeemed of God in the work of God. He sacrifices what is necessary for it.
The Priority and Value of Salvation
Matt 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
Jesus taught that salvation is of supreme importance. The idea in these two small parables is that for a person to really be saved, he must understand his state of sin and condemnation before God, and he has to find the solution in Christ, and this living trusting in Christ is what gives him his promise of heaven.
Ps 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Prov 3:13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. 14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
Part of being saved is to see, understand, and believe in things as God presents them, and doing this to such a point that we allow this divine view to transform our life completely. If God says that his words and salvation is more desirable than gold, we have to desire it like this.
But all of this is so important, so much to the point that if you do not see your eternal salvation as being so important and precious, then you just are not saved. This is always without exception going to happen in every true Christian’s life.
Matt 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
We invest our lives in what is most important to us, in what we deem is valuable. This becomes or is our god, the true God of heaven or an earthly idol. Many put the most important thing in their life as their welfare, riches, their work, their play (entertainment), etc.
Salvation is more than Family
Matt 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
In other words, Jesus called this one to follow him, and probably, his father had not yet died, and he was waiting for this. But Jesus demanded a priority on eternal life as the first thing in his life if he was to be saved.
Matt 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Likewise there are people that put family relationships before God, but Jesus condemned these people as not worthy of heaven, i.e. they are not saved.
Salvation is more than Health
Matt 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
These declarations of Jesus about hell (the wrath of God on sin) are important because it paints a picture so horrible that it is better to live this life with any defect, injury, or problem rather than dying without salvation and going to hell. Likewise there are no riches on earth that are worth sacrificing your eternal destiny for them. One has to absolutely make salvation the priority of their life.
Salvation is more than Riches
Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
In other words, God puts the condition that you must not exalt any other thing over Him if you are to be saved. These “other things” are actually the “god” of your life, and they are really idols, and the true Christian has to renounce or reject everything he owns, or he will not be saved. This does not necessarily mean that you must sell everything you own and give it away, but speaks that you must not exalt possessions, things, or any thing to be more importance in your life than God, and this is seen mostly in how you allocate your time, energy, interests, resources, etc.
Luke 18:22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
This is the only case when God asked somebody to sell all his possessions, and it was exactly for the reason that this rich man held or esteemed his riches above God in his life as an idol to worship and esteem highly. To be saved is to completely embrace Jesus Christ as the only God or absolute priority of your life. Jesus controls your time, energy, resources, interests, and only Jesus and His interests are what truly makes you happy.
In each person’s mind, the putting anything above or more important or more consuming (in time, energy, interest, joy, etc) than God is to deify it and make an idol of it.
Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Moses is a good example of this principle. He blocked the “importance” and pull of everything of this world, exalting God, heaven, and God’s work more important that anything earth can offer.
Counting all but Loss
Matt 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Jesus told us that it is only when we stop “possessing” the things of this life to seek heaven is when we will really be saved.
Phil 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
There are many “Christians” in churches today that float between the world and the things of God, but they have never fully understood this essence of salvation that we speak of. They “know” a lot about the Bible, and want everybody to call them “brother” but they are not really saved. They dislike the things of God saying that these things are not really what is their profound and deep interest and joy of their life, and this is readily seen to be the case.
“Having no time for God”
I am a pastor of a local church and many times I have people in my church that tell me “I don’t have time for (one thing or another)” speaking of church functions, church services, etc. What they are really saying is that they HAVE THEIR OWN LIFE, and God has very little priority or place IN THEIR LIFE, and what they have of time, energy, resources, etc, is not going to be “wasted” on the things of God or God. I understand when there are emergencies in one’s life, and one simply cannot be in two places at the same time. But one thing is an emergency and another thing is simply never having time for God, or making that low priority for God the habit and custom of your life. This is not a problem of missing a church service, but making the habit of your life to ALWAYS miss or skip things related to God, or participate in the very minimal amount that you can. This simply is not the mark of a true child of God, that truly loves with all his heart his heavenly Father.
Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
God presents us “with a cross to bear” if we really want to be saved, and difficulties and tribulations are just a part of the life of a child of God. Going way beyond “being inconvenient,” the Christian’s life is one of suffering and hardship, problems and difficulties, and you need to understand and accept this when you believe in Jesus as your Savior.
2Tim 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
This is a promise (warning) from God that if you will follow Christ, it is going to be a hard road for you. People who are not dedicated to Christ, or fully committed to Christ are probably not really saved in the first place. They may know, and they may “be in the doorway of salvation”, but nobody that is ashamed of Christ, or fearful of what it will cost is really saved. (see Parable of Sower in Mat 13, where the seed that sprouted but could not stand the heat of the day wasn’t saved). The person who has salvation “lightly” has not truly grasp the reality of it all. Salvation is “free” (but not really, because Jesus paid a great price on the cross for it), but salvation will cost you a lot. But you cannot be saved without fully valuing the price of it.
Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
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