SALVATION
«But Israel shall be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; you shall not be ashamed or disgraced forever and ever» (Isaiah 45: 17).
It was 3 0’clock in the morning and Charles stood on the side of the road, hoping that someone would give him a ride. It was cold and a light rain trickled down his jacket. The black pavement matched the dark night, while some dim lights allowed him to see the landscape. A few meters away, there was a small canal with garbage, bugs and rodents. Weeping willows poured their sad branches on both sides of he road. A factory freely expelled its smoke hundreds of meters away, and the engine of a truck completed the background music. But Charles was not sad as he viewed this bleak scenery. His keen and sharp mind, relying on divine promises, was focused on what he would soon enjoy. Instead of black pavement, he would be walking on streets of gold (Rev. 21:21). A river of crystalline waters coming from the throne of God would provide the water of life (Rev. 22:1). On either side of the river is the tree of life yielding its fruit for the healing of the nations (v. 2). He would never see the night because God Himself would light it, and he would reign with Him throughout eternity (v. 5).
Could what Charles imagined be real? Do you believe like he did? God encourages us to live by faith, He also urges us to use reasoning in order to make the best decisions. Thus, we can say that, basically, there are two possible logical options regarding God (and the New Earth): it is true or it isn’t. On the other hand, there are two possibilities with regard to your beliefs: you can believe or not. However, if we combine each one of these possibilities, we will get the following:
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Imagine that none of this is true, but you believe that it is; the result would be you living like Charles. You would live with hope but because you believed in an illusion, when you die, your hope would perish with you.
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Now, imagine that it isn’t true and you don’t believe it either. In this case, you would have a meaningless life, one devoid of hope.
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Let us see the third option. Imagine it is true, but you don’t believe it. In this case, you would live without hope and you would eventually lose everything.
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Lastly, imagine that everything is true and you also believe it. Wouldn’t it be wonderful? You would live with hope and, when the moment would come, you would gain everything and would be saved forever!
It’s really up to you to believe or not. It’s up to you to exercise your faith. Reflect, reason and decide. Eternal salvation deserves your attention.
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Taken from: Daily Devotions for Adults 2020
“A Cheerful Heart Is Good Medicine”
From: Julian Melgoza-Laura Fidanza
Colaboradores: Alejandra Zavala
