Saved? Saved from What?

Christians will tell you that they are "saved" or that "you should be saved." Well, saved from what? Most would say hell or God's wrath. So is God saving you from Himself? Does God really want to kill you & to save you at the same time?

The bible says, “The wages of sin is death,” not “The wages of God is death if you sin.” Sin has earned you death. Because of sin your body will die & if you are not somehow rescued you will face a second, eternal death in the lake of fire.

The bible speaks of "the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). God says in Revelation 3:5, "I will not erase the name of the man who overcomes from the book of life." Overcome means to conquer; to have victory; to win. "Whoever is born of God overcomes. This victory comes by trusting in Jesus. Who is the one who overcomes? He who trusts that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 John 5:4-5). People are born again by trusting in (believing in, having faith in) Jesus. Every Christian is born again. Everyone who is born again overcomes, they are victorious.

What then do they overcome? “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). The victory is over sin & death. Jesus broke the power of sin & death. "Christ Jesus, the savior of the world, broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News" (2 Timothy 1:10). Jesus saves people from the power of sin & death. The victory is a gift of God. Overcoming is a gift from God to those who trust His Son.

Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who trusts in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and trusts in Me will never die." (John 11:25). "For those who have trusted in Jesus the fact of sin & death has been replaced by the new reality of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. You are free from sin & death. You have been released from the reality of sin & death and born into a new reality of the spirit, the reality of life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:2).

"Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death" (Revelation 20:14-15). Going back to what God said in Revelation 3:5, "I will not erase the name of the man who overcomes from the book of life." Notice that God talks about erasing people from the book, not adding them to it. Every one's name is in the book of life by default. You must refuse to trust Jesus at every opportunity, refuse to join in His victory party over sin & death to have your name blotted out.

So does God really want to kill you & to save you at the same time? "God is patient with everyone. He doesn't want anyone to perish (die or be destroyed). He wants everyone to come to changing their mind to trust in Him" (2 Peter 3:9). He so doesn't want people to perish that He starts every one's name off in the book of life. Why then do people perish? "God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son so whoever trusts in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but to save the world through Him" (John 3:16-17). God cannot make up your mind for you. You have to freely choose to trust in Him. He sent Jesus to save the world, not to judge it. He wants everyone to change their mind to trust in Him. You have to be willing to be rescued.

The Judgment scene in Revelation 20 interestingly makes no mention of the words, "sin" or "law." The lake of fire is the consequence for rejecting Jesus as your savior not a punishment for sin. Imagine you are in a burning building & you are hopeless to save yourself. If you reject the fireman who seeks to save you from the fire you will burn to death. Rejecting a savior results in death. The lake of fire is described as "the second death." If you aren't in the book of life you face death. Someone isn't erased from the book of life unless they choose death by rejecting life. Jesus is life, Jesus is The Life, Jesus is the life of those who trust Him. Those who choose death will be judged for their deeds but they are not judged because of their deeds, they are judged because they have rejected Christ.

"It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To anyone who is thirsty, I will give the water of life without cost. It is a free gift. He who overcomes, that is, He who trusts in me will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for those who didn't trust me, their destiny is the lake of fire and sulfur which is the second death" (Revelation 21:6-8).

"Whoever trusts in me has victory over sin & death, he will not be hurt by the second death. I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also was victorious and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Revelation 2:11, 3:21).

"I have set before you life and death. Therefore choose life, that you may live!" (Deuteronomy 30:19)

This is Part 1 of 2, See Part 2:  Eternal Torment, Annihilation, Ultimate Reconciliation? How about a little of each?