Lately, I’ve been reflecting on Abram’s calling in Genesis 12. God reaches out to someone who frankly doesn’t know God from a coconut and gives him a specific mandate:
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
God doesn’t just reach out to Abram to save him from something–living a life apart from God–but God reaches out to Abram to save him for something. In other words, salvation isn’t just a matter of being saved from sin, death, the curse, hell, etc., but salvation is a gift that saves us for something.
We are saved to to be a blessing, to be a conduit of blessing. We are saved to live in relationship with God forever.
But we cannot lay hold of the “for” apart from God. We are utterly dependent on God every step of the way. Like Abraham, when we choose to go out on our own, to develop plans without seeking or acknowledging God, we, too, can get ourselves in some sticky situations. If we we choose to make the journey with God, we lay hold of the promise that God has plans and purposes for us that exceed our wildest imaginations.
*Photo courtesy of here
Margaret,
I love this post—it reminds me that God’s plan of salvation, while real and necessary and redemptive, also includes saving us so that we can help to save others. Whether that saving is a literal, transformative spiritual experience or merely extending hand of kindness, we can’t underestimate the ripple effect of taking the time to throw the stone into the pond.
Thanks for this good word today!
Jane,
Ooohh–love that–“extending the hand of kindness”…when I first read it I accidentally read “standing on the hand of kindness”….either way…yes, it’s has a huge ripple effect!
Great post. Salvation really is more than just fire insurance.
Lisa,
So true…if we settle for fire insurance…think of all we miss out on!
I love this post, Margaret! In addition to being saved “from” something, I’ve heard before that “we aren’t saved ‘by’ moral living, we are saved ‘for’ moral living.” Thanks for the reminder!
Aly