Salvation & Service
Understanding Salvation in Christ & Service or Discipleship which should follow
Come to Christ for salvation! Come after Christ for service!
Salvation is separate from service or discipleship.
Salvation is always presented as a gift from God in the Bible. One cannot earn salvation by any human merit. To obtain salvation, one simply receives it by trusting in the finished work Jesus paid for us on the cross of Calvary (Jesus’ sinless shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection). A gift would not be a gift if you had to work for it or earn it. Salvation is by God’s grace (unmerited, undeserved favor) through our faith in Jesus Christ.
Salvation –
Romans 4:16 – “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace...” (Notice grace is free and faith is not a work - see Rom. 4:5 below).
Romans 4:5 – “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him (Jesus Christ) that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness”
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he GAVE his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”
Galatians 1:3-4 – “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Who GAVE himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.”
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death; but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Once you have accepted Christ’s payment for your sins, trusting Jesus Christ alone as your personal Savior, you are saved eternally. Then, you SHOULD go on to serve Him daily because of what He has done for you!
Service or Discipleship –
Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we SHOULD walk in them.”
Hebrews 9:14 – “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to SERVE the living God?”
Romans 12:1 – “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable SERVICE.”
John 12:26 – Jesus says, “If any man SERVE me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my SERVANT be: if any man SERVE me, him will my Father honour.”
Matthew 16:24 – “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come AFTER me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
Service or Discipleship (living the Christian life) is to be performed out of our love for God and will result in blessings, joy, and even eternal rewards in Heaven. (John 10:10, 15:1-11, 1 Cor. 3:8-15, Heb. 6:10, James 1:2-25, 1 John 1:1-10, 2 John 1:8) - Also see my article titled "Earning Eternal Crowns & Rewards"
