My Salvation Has A First Name: It’s J E S U S

Salvation has a beginning, middle, and an end. All things, even our salvation, are of Jesus, through Jesus, and to Jesus. (Romans 11:36) Jesus, Alpha and Omega, the Word of God, is both the substance and the object of our faith. We are saved, as Ephesians 2:8, 9 clearly states, by grace through faith, not by works (i.e. baptism, charity, etc.). A good place to start, according to the apostle Paul, is confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Romans 10:9, 10) Remember that Peter couldn’t even testify that Jesus was the Christ until the Holy Spirit revealed this truth to him. (Mark 8:27 and Matthew 16:13) Hence, a person cannot decide out of the blue to be saved when and where they “feel” like it. When God chooses us and anoints our blind eyes to see, we then begin to seek Him and recognize that He is sovereign, omnipotent, and holy. Fear of the Lord is indeed the beginning of wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10 and Psalm 111:10) God says, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” (Jeremiah 31:3) All of my hope is in thee, oh God, and in your Word. I pray now that my faith fail not and that I continue to grow by leaps and bounds in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Unto Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.