There is a Proverb that says, “He who is wise wins souls.” (Proverbs 11:30)

This post is about winning souls, and it’s a little uncomfortable to write — because it should be.

After detailed review of the scriptures, there are mysteries about salvation that we don’t have definitive direction on and we acknowledge that we, as humans, simply cannot speak on them. But as salvation is the primary value of Christianity, we need to be talking about these things. In this blog we’ve aimed to tackle some of the tough questions around salvation, and we want to be clear before we start about what we at 3 Strands believe.

We believe, above all, in a merciful God who is mighty to save. We believe that God gave up his son Jesus to die on the cross as atonement for our sins (because we simply cannot approach the holiness of God of our own accord), and that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one comes to the Father except by him. We believe that, to be saved, we must confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord, and that baptism is our response to faith in Christ. Whereas some Christians believe baptism is a requirement for salvation, we believe it to be an outward expression of the inner transformation and posture of our hearts, and not a requirement.

But if you don’t also believe this, please don’t stop reading because there’s so much more.

This is the point where I (Kristin) pause to take a breath because I have wanted to speak these words for a long time, and before speaking, I have wanted to be sure that they are so, so true. Because salvation is a matter of eternal life or eternal suffering and it’s a huge deal. I’m humbled to even be sharing this message, because I don’t feel qualified to — yet, I know in my heart that Jesus died for everyone; he loves us all the same; and he will give people from all faiths an opportunity to accept him. 

Salvation is so much more than accepting Jesus into our hearts as Lord and Savior and going to church on Sundays. These are the first steps, and they are beginning of a life transformation, but they are not enough.

As a child, I was confronted by the incongruity of the Gospel with church life in upper-middle class white affluent America. I couldn’t understand how Jesus could speak the words he did, yet they didn’t change us. We ignored those in need. We lived beyond our means. We lived excessively. Our hearts were chained to worldly things instead of Kingdom things.

Something was missing, and it was the radical and spirit-filled movement of the early church in Acts. The church in Acts displayed a fervor and zeal for Christianity in the power of the Holy Spirit that some of us, even as long-time believers, struggle to access. We have quenched the Spirit from moving because we have forgotten the urgency of the gospel.

I think back to the story of Stephen and his radical testimony to the goodness of God prior to his stoning (Acts 7) just moments before he would die for the Good News of the Gospel.

Friends, the Gospel is the Good News we cannot miss in this lifetime, and the Gospel is so URGENT it’s worth dying for.

There are many roadblocks to faith. If we’ve been believers for a long time, we can slip into the legalistic oughts of faith instead of focusing on all that we gain through faith in Jesus Christ. If we don’t know how we feel about Jesus yet, following him on the surface can seem like a long list of restrictions and can’t dos — why would we even sign on?

The truth is that the oughts of faith are not true Christianity. The Gospel of salvation is not about what we give up; rather, it’s about yielding ourselves entirely to the Most High God because we cannot ever be good enough to meet the standard of God’s Law, and what we GAIN through salvation is worth celebrating and sharing (Philippians 1:21).

In Jesus, we gain abundant life (John 10:10) full of the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and the peace of Christ which surpasses [defies!] all understanding (Philippians 4:7). We gain freedom from the bondage of sin (Romans 6:17-18). We gain the strength to stand in the darkest nights of our souls and to find contentment in every circumstance (Philippians 4:11-13) — even, and just as, Stephen standing in the city center waiting to be stoned to death. God is so good that we cannot ever measure up. Jesus was the sacrificial lamb. He stood in the gap that we could never stand in. He died in our place so we could be raised to new life with him.

When we have the Good News of Jesus Christ, we are:

3. Renewed — We have an energy and enthusiasm for the Gospel that is renewed day by day (Isaiah 40:31)

I sometimes ask myself the question “What would it look like if I operated in the immeasurable power, strength and fullness of God’s love 100% of the time?” The answer is more Kingdom power and focus.

Satan wants to distort our God-views and condemn us to shame and fear and self-condemnation because, if he can cripple or immobilize us through these bondages, he can also narrow our mission fields when we need to be widening them.

The Kingdom of heaven is here and now and whether someone hears the Gospel is literally a matter of life and death — the difference between hope and hopelessness. Truly, I know because, without Christ, I wouldn’t physically be here.

People in need of a Savior and healing and hope suffer all over the world, and the calling to faith, hope and love is urgent. The Gospel is truly the Good News and when we’re living it, we’re also feeding the hungry and giving the thirsty something to drink. Something precious, invaluable and eternal. Living water that cannot be quenched.

Take a look at Matthew 7:21-23 and 25:41-46 below. In our opinion, these are some of the most challenging passages in the Bible — because they show us that salvation is so much more than accepting Jesus.

“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.’

The Gospel of Good News isn’t a one-time profession of faith in Jesus Christ. It is an active doing that renews day by day. At the end of the day, we will all make an accounting for our actions (and inactions) before God. 

Whether or not you grew up in church, whether or not you believe Jesus is the son of God, these words should command our attention and reflection. Not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven because true righteousness is a heart posture that acts to do the will of God to care for the poor and the sick and the oppressed, to give them something to eat and something to drink — physically and spiritually (James 1:27).

Salvation is doing the work of the Kingdom:  The work is urgent and the suffering on Earth is great. Here on Earth as it is in heaven.