What It Means to Be Saved

Arthur Burns, Jewish economist and a man of influence in Washington circles, offered a provocative prayer before an evangelical audience:
“Lord, I pray that Jews would come to know Jesus Christ, And I pray that Buddhists would come to know Jesus Christ, And I pray that Muslims would come to know Jesus Christ, And, Lord, I pray that Christians would come to know Jesus Christ.”
When I read those words in a sermon by Mark Buchanan, I realized that the prayer is also mine. “Lord, make us Christians here at New Hope Baptist Church come to know Jesus Christ.” To be saved is to be more than casual admirers. It is to know Jesus so well that when we come to a difficult decision or a conflict with someone or face a tragedy, we have his teachings in our heads and his Spirit in our hearts and react with obedience.

In 2006, five Amish girls, aged 6 to 13, were shot and killed by a man in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, who then killed himself. The event stunned the world. But what happened next stunned the world all the more: a whole community not bent on retaliation, not shouting with anger or collapsing in despair, but standing with quiet dignity and deep calm. The community was quick to forgive. They even established a charity fund for the killer's family. We saw a people face the worst and become their best.

What does it mean to be saved? It means being freed from our sins and being given eternal life. It also means being given freedom and power, here and now, to live a life transformed by obeying Jesus.

I would rather be in a small church that is coming “to know Jesus Christ” than in a large church with lots of resources that is challenging no one to take up a cross and follow Jesus. Please, let us be a church whose members are learning to see every personal struggle, every conflict, every joy, and every sorrow as an opportunity to live out the teachings of Jesus.