The Joy of Your Salvation
King David lamented to God…“Restore to me the joy of your salvation.” (Psalm 51:12)
I think many Christians have lost the “joy” of their salvation. David lost it due to the guilt associated with his sin and I suppose that still happens. But many who have lost this joy are not sure why? They are faithful members of a local church.
I sympathize with them because I lost my joy while actively involved in a local Church as a deacon, lay preacher, and bible teacher, and serving on an international mission board. But the more I served the less joy I had. After 25 years of working in the local church trying to please God, all I had was “guilt” that I just did not do enough, which guilt was regularly reinforced by well-meaning pastors and guest evangelists who would imply that most people would end up in hell because the church was not doing a good enough job to save them.
AND THEN IT HAPPENED…GOD OPENED MY EYES TO THE TRUTH. I had labored all those years to DO what God in Christ had already DONE for the lost.
Opening my eyes was pretty simple really. First He showed me that the doctrine of eternal conscious torment in hell was a lie and showed me the truth about those mistranslated passages used to teach such a horrible fable. Then it was simply a matter of believing the Bible, especially the message Jesus gave the Apostle Paul to preach to the nations…
“To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things…It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance…for it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of ALL MEN, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things” (1 Timothy 4:1, 7, 9-11)
In this same letter to Timothy written 2000 years ago, Paul warned that the days would come when people would fall away from this faith and pay attention to doctrines of demons…
“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons…have nothing to do with worldly fables…” (1 Timothy 4:1, 7)
This falling away began to happen toward the end of Paul’s ministry as shown in Paul’s 2nd and final letter to Timothy where he encouraged him to….
“Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you. You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me.” (2 Timothy 1:15)
This turning from the gospel of the salvation of all given to Paul to a gospel of a mere “offer” of Salvation was well established in the Church by the fourth century AD along with some myths of deceitful spirits which are still taught as doctrines in Churches today…myths which have robbed mankind of the JOY OF THEIR SALVATION.
The JOY of my Salvation is my most precious possession!
I think many Christians have lost the “joy” of their salvation. David lost it due to the guilt associated with his sin and I suppose that still happens. But many who have lost this joy are not sure why? They are faithful members of a local church.
I sympathize with them because I lost my joy while actively involved in a local Church as a deacon, lay preacher, and bible teacher, and serving on an international mission board. But the more I served the less joy I had. After 25 years of working in the local church trying to please God, all I had was “guilt” that I just did not do enough, which guilt was regularly reinforced by well-meaning pastors and guest evangelists who would imply that most people would end up in hell because the church was not doing a good enough job to save them.
AND THEN IT HAPPENED…GOD OPENED MY EYES TO THE TRUTH. I had labored all those years to DO what God in Christ had already DONE for the lost.
Opening my eyes was pretty simple really. First He showed me that the doctrine of eternal conscious torment in hell was a lie and showed me the truth about those mistranslated passages used to teach such a horrible fable. Then it was simply a matter of believing the Bible, especially the message Jesus gave the Apostle Paul to preach to the nations…
“To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things…It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance…for it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of ALL MEN, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things” (1 Timothy 4:1, 7, 9-11)
In this same letter to Timothy written 2000 years ago, Paul warned that the days would come when people would fall away from this faith and pay attention to doctrines of demons…
“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons…have nothing to do with worldly fables…” (1 Timothy 4:1, 7)
This falling away began to happen toward the end of Paul’s ministry as shown in Paul’s 2nd and final letter to Timothy where he encouraged him to….
“Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you. You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me.” (2 Timothy 1:15)
This turning from the gospel of the salvation of all given to Paul to a gospel of a mere “offer” of Salvation was well established in the Church by the fourth century AD along with some myths of deceitful spirits which are still taught as doctrines in Churches today…myths which have robbed mankind of the JOY OF THEIR SALVATION.
The JOY of my Salvation is my most precious possession!