Saved?

I am certain after reading this above one word question you are already mulling over whether or not you are or are not saved. And I am equally certain you think you have a good understanding of what that means. But do you really know what you are saved from?

R.C. Sproul wrote this fabulous little book "Saved from What?" (Buy it here) which very simply answers this basic and yet not so basic question. I thought his answer was very clear and what most people wouldn't think. What do you say you are saved from? Sin? Hell? Damnation? Yourself? What are you saved from? Sproul says it is very clear, you are Saved from God.

Ummm, Larissa, are you sure about that? Heck, Yeah!! Why else would God have sent His only Son to suffer and die? Because HE KNEW that you and me were hopeless against Him apart from His own intervention! Does this change your view of being "saved"?

Have you always thought that, sweet gentle God just liked little Larissa so much, because "Awe, bless her cotton pickin' heart..." isn't she just the sweetest thing?! Did you really think that?! No. God is holy. And when I say Holy I mean you in his presence means destruction 100 times out of 100. You aren't a good person, you aren't lovable, you aren't sweet, you are a vessel of wrath!

But God loved us in a holy way, knowing that even though it would cost Him significantly, we would never be able to enter into His presence without the blood of Christ, because 100 times out of 100 our badness would have to be destroyed! God Himself would pour out His wrath on us, unless He Himself made a way for our pathetic selves! This kinda changes things doesn't it?!

You are saved......wait for it......from God! You are saved from having God's wrath poured out on your sweet and fabulous head, for eternity. Is this what happened at your conversion? Did you understand that you were so damaged that God would never allow you into His presence without the full brunt of His wrath? Did you understand that He knew the implications of our plight? This is no "Bad, Larissa, you sinned Larissa, let's just have a koom-bye-ya hug and don't you do it again, sweetie!" This is us drinking down the cup of wrath intended for all those who rebel against the Lord. God is love. He loved us so much He made a way for us not to experience that wrath, not because we were so sweet and cuddly, but because HE IS SO HOLY!

So if God save us from Himself. Does that mean we can just go ahead willy nilly ignoring his words and saying this sin is acceptable, "Larissa she is just a passionate Girl and her emotions get the better of her, Bless her heart!" Should we allow sin to abound that grace many abound? MAY IT NEVER BE! Do you understand that a HOLY God intervened in a GRAND way to redeem disgusting rabble like us? Or did you miss the whole point of being saved? Did you think it was praying a prayer, or accepting a gift? Did you think it was just admitting in an offhanded way "I sin all the time..."? Or did you think you had so badly transgressed the Law of God that you are incapable of ever being in His presence, save the blood of Christ?

Don't be deceived, friend, you have been saved (if indeed you have been redeemed) from the wrath of God, by the Loving Kindness of God, through the Grace of God, by the Providence of God. Read Sproul's book and also the Bible.