Salvation by faith so easy and yet so difficult

Salvation is by faith only. It is simple. It is free. But many people find it difficult to accept that they have no part in their own salvation. They feel that they must do something. Why is it so difficult for men to believe that Jesus Christ had died for their sins and is able to save them? The faith required to believe in this fact is the same as the faith you need when your teacher told you that the earth is round. Men readily believe in many things, except that Christ died for their sins.

Spiritual Pride
"The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.'" (Luke 18:11-12 NASB)
When one accepts Christ as his saviour, it implies that he is a sinner. Not only that, he is such a horrible sinner that he cannot save himself. Many people accept that they are imperfect, but still good enough, just like the Pharisee in the above parable by Jesus.

Cultural Pride
But Naaman was furious and went away and said, "Behold, I thought, 'He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.' Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage. (2 Kings 5:11-12 NASB)
Naaman, the distinguished general who had often led the Arameans to victory, find it difficult to accept that to cure himself of leprosy, he had to wash in the Israelite river of Jordan. It is not a difficult task (everybody knows how to take a bath), but where to wash is the problem.

Salvation is easy. But many worked hard to find it and is unable to do so. Like the Chinese proverb, which said the one broke his iron shoes to look for something, but he can get it without effort (踏破铁鞋无觅处，得来全不费工夫 ).

Salvation is by faith only

For by grace are ye saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8 KJV), so what kind of faith are we talking about? It is the ordinary faith that we get by in our daily life.

If a friend invites me for dinner at his house at 6 pm, I will just go to his house for dinner. I have faith in him that when I reach his house, there will be dinner for me. I know my friend and I trust (that is, have faith) him.

So likewise it is with Christ. He said He will save me, and I believe Him. For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day (2 Timothy 1:12 KJV).

Salvation is by faith only. The faith needed is the same faith that we live our ordinary life. There is nothing special needed and it is available to all men. It has to be made so simple, because men are extremely sinful. Any additional process will require men's effort and participation. But they are not fit to play any part in this process of salvation.

Jesus is the only way

This is the key message of the Bible, a library of sixty books - Jesus saves; God saves; there is no other way.

John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Acts 4:12
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Ephesians 4:4
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Isaiah 43:11
I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior.

Isaiah 45:22
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

2 Corinthians 1:20
For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Salvation by Grace through Faith

Salvation is by the grace of God, and through faith alone. Not of works, lest any man should boast.

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.

Titus 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Galatians 2:21
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

2 Timothy 1:9
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

John 6:37
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

The Roman Road to Salvation

Since this is the first post for the year 2010, we shall have the most important issue of the world, namely, salvation of our soul:

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:13
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

God's presence or God's present

A friend of mine told me that his former church ask the people to pray for "a peaceful and quiet day" at the start of each day. My friend followed this advice and each time when he pray for a peaceful and quiet day, that day would turn out to be extemely eventful. It happened so frequently that he became afraid to pray this prayer. He seeked the Lord and eventually found that he should pray for the Lord's presence to go with him. It does not matter what kind of day is waiting for him, but as long as the Lord is with him, he should face it without fear. He felt that God's people should not be asking for presents (such as a peaceful day) so that they can enjoy it. They should ask for God's presence, so that they can face all situation. They should ask for God's presence, not His presents.

First day of PSLE 2009

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV).
Today is the first day of my son's Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) and yesterday night, a church friend of his sister messaged Proverbs 3:5-6 to her and asked her to encourage him with this verse.
Trusting the LORD with all your heart is one of the most difficult things to do. Some people played the whole day and did not to study, because they "trust in the LORD". Others studied very hard, even skipping church on Sundays, and add "trusting the LORD" as an of insurance of the last resort.
Trusting the LORD is actually an attitude. When we trust the LORD, we will automatically acknowledge Him in all our ways. I truly thank the Lord for this sister for her concern and for remembering her church mate who is studying for PSLE. Those who trust the Lord will always have time to be concern for the welfare of the others. they had left their care in our Lord's hand. Those who trust in themselves who feel that they have insufficient resources and would use up all their time to think and plan and ensure and worry, and would not have time for others.