Saved or Not

5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:5-8 KJV

 

Let us pause a bit and consider these verses. I am not one to explain the prophecies of the book of Revelations. While some things of John’s visions in the book are not easily understood, other things cannot be misunderstood. A careful reading of verses 6-8 show us their clear message.  

Sometimes a passage of scripture stands out in a way we have never noticed, which is how the message of these verses came to me. To put them in my own words—we face a formidable foe, who first waged war against God and the heavenly beings—cursing God’s Holy name and His dwelling place. Next it says there are only two options when we die—either our name is written in the book of life with our sins covered by the blood of Christ, or we will go to the left-hand side with the devil and his angels. It says that if we are not saved now—if our names are not written in the book of life—our sins covered by the blood of Jesus Christ—we are serving Satan. I believe we all know that, but we may find ourselves classifying people in three different categories. There are the saved, the lost sinners, and those who are in between. This perception is not necessarily intentional, because we do not always know if people are saved or lost. By default it leaves an “unknown” category.

Now I know the Word tells us that we are not to judge others, yet the Word of God judges. These verses remind us that there are not three options, only two. We are either serving God, or we are serving Satan. Where that line is, may not always be so clear to those looking on. However, if we simply believe these verses the way they are written, it places us on either one side or the other, there is no neutral ground.

There are also three stages in which we place ourselves–saved, lost, or we do not know. Sometimes we talk about the third one here as a “gray” area. However, there are no gray areas with God. We can know in our hearts for sure where we stand. If we do not know, we are in dangerous territory. We can know, and it is necessary that we do know. If we are not saved, there is no “in-between.”

We do not need to fear God, but we do need to respect, honor, and serve Him. He bears long with us, even when we make choices that are displeasing to Him. He is not ready to throw us away at our first failure, like Satan would like us to think. God is merciful and will give us the grace to conquer ourselves and overcome the sin and darkness that seek to overpower our souls.

Satan would like us to believe that we are lost when we are saved, by making us question whether or not we have lived good enough for God. Truth is, no one can live good enough to earn their salvation. Salvation is a gift of God which we acquire through repentance of sin and surrender to God.

Sincere believers have become discouraged through the ploy of Satan, to cause them to doubt their salvation. He tells them that God does not really care for them. To over come, it is necessary to seek promises from God’s Word which will quench those fiery darts. It is not wrong to be tempted with doubts and fears, but we must not allow Satan to sweep us into unbelief, for that is his goal. This struggle is the war which indirectly Satan is waging against God. Therefore, we must remember that it is His battle, not ours. It is His grace that saves us, not our perfection. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Revelation 12:11 KJV

It is important to remember, that Satan is not our friend nor anyone’s friend. The Bible tells us that he can appear as an angel of light, trying to mimic God.  We must not allow him to deceive us in any way. On the other hand, think of the most fearful, terrible, and terrifying thing you can imagine, and he is worse than that. Consider the vilest acts man is capable of doing—the slaying of millions, and Satan is worse than that. He is not one to be trifled with, for he is the author and epitome of evil.

Now let us consider our heavenly Father. Though he is to be revered, respected and honored—though He is known for His judgment on sin, He is the essence of love. Think of the most lovely, beautiful, and comforting thing you can imagine, and you have not even begun to touch the character of God. Consider the kindest person you know, and they are but nothing in comparison with God. Is it any wonder that Satan hates Him so?

Our humanity is not capable to see sin as God sees it. We are incapable of comprehending His Holiness, therefore we are not able to grasp the magnitude of His power, grace, and mercy.

Life is not always simple, nor is Christian life always a warm fuzzy feeling of love and perfect peace. It is, after all, a walk of faith. We may sometimes need to seek the evidence of our walk with God, rather than the feeling. The evidence is the lack of condemnation for sin. It is the power to deal with the problems that confront us. Or the deep quietness in the middle of the storm. It is surrendering ourselves before the Lord, in faith, believing that He loves us—that He is there and will speak to us through the storm. And sometimes, all we can do is hold still and wait for Him to come through.

It does one good to read the 14th chapter of Revelation. There John tells of the beautiful future of the redeemed, and one cannot help but long to be in that number. That place of perfect rest is for anyone who wants to be there. All it takes is to surrender our lives to our Lord, Jesus Christ so He can save us from ourselves and sin.

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:12-13 KJV