WHAT JESUS TEACHES HIMSELF ABOUT SALVATION

 

Bwambale Satto Leighton

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WHAT JESUS TEACHES HIMSELF ABOUT SALVATION.

#EP3

... Jesus said that ...

Repentance is necessary for salvation

5When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house." 6And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. 7When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." 8Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much." 9And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

- Luke 19:5-10

The story doesn't mention the word repentance but describes the attitude of sincere repentance. Repentance is not just sorrow for past sins but a change of attitude about sin in general. In repentance we go from being lovers of self, sin and the things of the world to lovers of God, righteousness and the lost in the world. Jesus sums up the attitude in Mark 8:34-35.

Repentance isn't negotiating or bargaining with God about how much sin you can keep in your life and still be saved -- it is a total transformation of the direction, attitude and function of our wills. Although painful, repentance is the joyful experience of seeing our old life slip away as we desire more and more to know and do and be only what Christ wants us to know and do and become. A person can talk about Jesus and his faith but unless his action in big a little things demonstrates a real change what is claimed as faith is nothing more than false piety. In Luke 13:3 Jesus said, " .. unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."