Presbyterian Devotions: More Than Being Saved

Psalm 9:18      But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.

When I first became a Christian, I thought that my mission was to ensure that the world was saved. Being born again had such an impact upon me that I wanted other people, my family and friends, to experience the same spiritual awakening and dynamic change. To be saved meant more to me than anything because I knew that without Jesus intervening in my life, I would have ended up as an alcoholic on skid row. Jesus changed my life completely, so I expected that everyone else would want the same.

It’s been almost thirty three years since I have had that wonderful experience and although I am truly thankful for being saved, I now know that it’s not what the Kingdom of God is all about. If that was the case, I could rest upon my spiritual laurels and live the rest of my life without any changes. Being saved is extremely important in the eternal scheme of things, but what I do with that salvation is crucially important with regard to being a saved Christian in the world.

Christ didn’t ask us to become His disciples just to look after ourselves. He called us to God’s Kingdom so that we could go out into the world to right the wrongs, heal the brokenness, and support the needy. Faith is a wonderful gift for the believer, but faithful works are precious gifts to the world. If we think about what’s currently happening in Haiti, we know that the people who are suffering over there don’t need a bunch of Christian groups telling them that they must be saved. Instead, they need to be shown the loving kindness, tender care, and compassion of the Kingdom of God.

The Haitians are looking to survive this terrible catastrophe. As Christians, we can build the Kingdom of God over there through acts of support rather than brow-beating them with the Bible just to add numbers to the ranks of people being saved. This is what makes it crucial to the growth of the Kingdom of God on Earth. Faith alone saves an individual person; faith and good works saves the world.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You are the Savior of the World and the Healer of the Nations. You bring the Kingdom of God into our hearts through our salvation, so that we can take that precious gift out into the world through acts of love and compassion. Help us to do what we can to help the needy, support the poor, and care for the perishing, so that God’s Kingdom may be effective and restorative in the world today. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.