When Christ saved your soul, He saved you from Hell, but He also saved you to live out Heaven on Earth.  

Do you remember the old Hell, fire, and brimstone preachers?  I suppose there are still some hanging around out there.  Every now and then, I hear a radio preacher that still fits that mold.  There is so much damnation and everything is about saving your soul as if that is the goal of God for your life.  But I don’t think that is God’s goal for your life.  Yes, the Bible clearly says that God doesn’t want anyone to go to Hell, but God’s plan for you is so much more than a spiritual “Get Out of Hell” card.  Salvation is just the beginning.  

Anyone who might think that once they are saved, it is just time to sit and wait for the rapture might as well take the Scripture, burn it, stomp on the ashes, then blow them away in the wind.  This type of thinking is a misunderstanding of what salvation is.  Salvation is not as much about saving us from something as it is saving us to something.  God’s plan is not to save you from Hell, but to save you into the Body of Christ that you might do what Christ did.

Here is what Jesus said when He came to Earth:

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 

Matthew 4:17

Christ came to bring Heaven down to Earth.  He called Himself the Bread that had come down from Heaven.  And Heaven is a Kingdom.  It is a society, a way of life.  How are things in the Kingdom of Heaven?  Everyone loves perfectly in the Kingdom of Heaven.  There are no arguments because everyone wants what is best for the other.  There is no hatred because everyone considers others better than themselves.  There is no greed but everyone shares all they have for the good of everyone.  There are no tears because sadness has been conquered by joy.  Depression conquered by love.  Anger conquered by forgiveness.  We have been saved to this lifestyle.

Don’t misunderstand what I am saying.  We are not saved by this lifestyle but to this lifestyle.  When God saves us from our sin, it is only through the life, death, blood, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  He positions us in Christ.  Claiming salvation without living out Heaven on Earth is a contradiction.  To be saved from Hell is to be saved to Kingdom living right here and now.

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, but have been content with your own salvation, you are not living in Christ and you will never experience the fullness of God’s goodness in your life.  Like the wealthy baby who never gets to enjoy his own wealth, a Christian content with salvation never enjoys all that God has for their life.  The most blessed life is not found in salvation.  It is found in Kingdom living.  Salvation simply makes Kingdom living possible.

Leave me a comment.  Have you become complacent with salvation or are you living out Heaven on Earth?

Live Blessed and Be a Blessing!

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