Interpretation

It is good to view scripture on face value but even better to have it confirmed by other confirmations throughout scripture.

What do I mean by this?

Let’s look at a point that is very close to my heart, salvation! God making allowances for sinners to be saved. There is much which covers this particular topic, but it is the simple instruction that I want to travel around; “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Romans 10:13)

Let’s explore the meaning of “who calls on”; to make a plea to someone who has it in their power to change a particular outcome. Imagine you are fast asleep but suddenly awakened to a thick fog of unbreathable smoke and due to the increasing power failures throughout the land you then remember the gas lantern you left burning in the lounge. Oh no! is the cry, as the obvious must have happened and you conclude that the light must have been blown over by a gust of wind. In the confusion admitting how careless you had been, the flames in the lounge begin to gain momentum and then you realise that the only way out of the house from your bedroom is through the front door, which is via the lounge, you try your best to make your way towards the door, but to no avail, the fire is far to fierce. What to do flashing through the mind’s eye as panic begins to work its magic and before long you find yourself huddled in the furthest corner with your wet duvet cover which you managed to soak under the shower as a shield, somewhat like religion trying to appease our consciences before a holy God. Sadly you soon realise that your valid attempt is no match for the blazing inferno with death looming and with no escape.

Having exhausted every possibility your mind was able to conjure up under extreme pressure, you eventually hit a wall and you are done, the inevitable now ogling you in the face, death by fire! It’s at this point that you hear a voice on the opposite side of the inferno, “call out”, it’s a fireman, a trained professional capable of handling extreme conditions. You have been thrown a lifeline. What do you do? You obviously do not remain silent hoping to be found, nor do you put up your hand hoping to be seen through the dense smoke, how about a courteous diplomatic whisper in the hope of being heard, never! You cry out on the top of your voice, “SAVE ME!” You call out to the fireman, the person with the power to save.

In like manner you need to cry out to the Lord Jesus Christ in order to be saved. However until you realise that your life is doomed for destruction and that you are a sinner who needs saving, the absolute urgency will elude you. As a rule even those on their death bed do not find a resolve to call out unto the Lord to be saved from their looming judgment. Miss it along life’s journey, that time when you were confronted with this exact question and the probability of calling out on your death bed is highly unlikely. However if death looms for you even now you are just a call away and I will remind you; “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

We have establish that a cry depicts urgency of ultimate proportion. It’s not a whisper, or a hedging of ones bet just in case, it’s all in or nothing. That is what it means to call upon the Lord Jesus Christ for help and to be saved, period!

We have seen how I understand taking a verse on face value, believing it for what is taught and yet when we peal back its layers we get a deeper understanding of the author’s intent. Explore the pages of scriptures they are marvellous.

Now to find another verse that confirms and builds upon my initial thought. The objective for us is to be saved, right! So, what else will help me achieve my objective? Here is another thought needed to help me arrive; “And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him…” (Hebrew 5:9) – Now that I have been saved there is a responsibility placed upon me to OBEY HIM. We now are called to work it out, but work it out with God’s help we must. This verse also addresses salvation. Without obedience we will never arrive. Do not be fooled, and believe that you can live a life is in opposition to the Bibles teachings, rebellious disobedience. In other words we must conclude that rank defiance equals an exclusion to the salvation of God. Therefore this verse must be taken very seriously, if we are to arrive in heaven one day as the sons of God.

Let me leave you with these verse that we may all consider our lives seriously; “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’’ (Matthew 7:21-23) 

I trust we understand the urgency to call out unto the Lord so that we may be saved… it is imperative not to be amongst the many! Praise the name of Jesus Christ now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone