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Save Me Jesus

Could it really be that simple? Are the words "Save Me Jesus" enough to connect you to God and save your soul for eternity? Yes and no. "Yes"....if you mean it....and keep living everyday with that attitude....one of humility before God and a living relationship with the Lord.

"No"....if it was just a one-time prayer from your past that is not being carried over to this day. A Christian is someone who depends upon Jesus everyday for His forgiveness....and seeks to live everyday for Christ. A believer is never content to be living in disobedience. There is a restlessness that comes to anyone who is born again and yet is giving into temptation and sin. The "gears" of the soul don't work in the life of a Christian who is deliberately disobeying the One he asked to save him earlier in life.

If you want to be miserable forever, reject Jesus Christ and enter eternity without His forgiveness. If you want to be miserable in this life, accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and then live in deliberate sin....and see how that works for you. There is only one thing worse than being miserable as a Christian because of intentional sin....and that is....not being miserable in your sin because you are not saved and don't have the Holy Spirit inside of you. That is worse because of the ultimate consequences. That is worse because you don't even see the train that is headed straight toward you as you play with your soul on the tracks of eternity.

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Life is seen as a game to those who don't know better. Life is found in Jesus for those who do know better. "Save me Jesus" quickly turns into "Use me Jesus," and "Be glorified in my life Jesus," and "Help me to live for you Jesus." If "Save me Jesus" doesn't develop into those attitudes, then you are not saved. That one-time prayer won't save your soul on Judgment Day. When people are truly converted, their hearts get changed and their lives move in a new direction.

Can you say, "Save me Jesus" and mean it? Those people who are critical of Christianity are not living for Christ and have no idea how much peace they would have if they submitted their heart and life to the Lord. They criticize what they don't understand....they only think they know what they are criticizing. I mean seriously....who in their right mind would be critical of the One who created them....and who will judge them one day? No one with spiritual sensitivities from the Lord would do such a thing. Only one living in rebellion against God would "go off" on Jesus and His perfect plan of salvation.

On one hand, you might think that everyone would call on Jesus and stick with it. It's easy to say the first, "Save me Jesus." It's get tough when I don't get my way and I come to see that God won't give me everything I desire in this life. He is after something much higher and nobler....He wants me to find my satisfaction in Him and Him alone. That's simple enough isn't it?

So am I saved by praying "the sinner's prayer" and meaning it? It's more like this....you pray "the sinner's prayer" because you now believe Jesus died for your sins and you now trust in Him to forgive you. If the sinner's prayer is truly a prayer of faith in your life, then you were converted the moment you had faith in Jesus. Were you converted before, during, or after you prayed? Somewhere in there you were saved by grace through faith.....before, during, or after your prayer. But did it stick? Did the seriousness to trust Jesus and live for Him continue everyday and only get stronger? That's how you know if the one-time prayer was more than just a one-time prayer.

By the way....some people are saved without ever praying "the sinner's prayer." The Bible tells believers that "it is by grace you are saved, through faith." (Ephesians 2:8) One particular prayer is not essential, but faith is essential. Without faith in Jesus, there is no salvation.

So start with this idea....recognize your sin....and your need for a Savior....and ask Jesus to save you. Give Him your sin....and tell Him that you want to turn away from sin....assuming, that is, you really do want to turn away from sin. If you don't, then you are not ready to come to Jesus. He deals with those who are serious about a relationship with Him....and not those who are just interested in playing games. You know....the way some people play games in their dating relationships....not being real....but just living in a fantasy world of pretend.

If you want games, then God is not who you are looking for....He is not into games. He is into sincerity and truth. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." (Psalm 51:17) In other words, be real with God....and He will be real with you. On the other hand, be fake with God....and He will not even come close to you.

God will "do business" with you even if you bring along a bunch of sin in your wagon....but don't plan to come to Him with anything but total honesty and sorrow over your sin. If you don't care how badly you have offended Him, then He won't care to listen to your half-hearted words. Can you blame Him? Isn't that similar to the way a husband or wife responds when their spouse has caused great offense?

Jesus died on the cross for your sins. He suffered for you....and then rose from the dead. That either moves you at the deepest level of your being, or it doesn't. If it doesn't, I urge you to call on God and plead for a new heart....one that recognizes how far you have fallen from His commands. We all have....we have gone our own way....and each of us has the critical need to say, "Save me Jesus." Unfortunately, having the need....and recognizing the need....are two entirely different things. Likewise, recognizing the need and doing something about it are also two different things.

Why not start with those three words....those eleven letters...."Save me Jesus." Say it from your heart. Ask Jesus to save you from yourself....and from your sin....and from any errors you have believed about Him.Your perception may be YOUR reality, but that doesn't mean God sees it the way you do. After all you have been through in life, isn't it time to start seeing things from His perspective?

Dan Delzell is the pastor of Wellspring Lutheran Church in Papillion, Neb. He is a regular contributor to The Christian Post.

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