Admiration Vrs Salvation

I remember not so long ago sitting behind the television whiling away time when an ongoing discussion by some individuals caught my attention. The discussion, as I picked, pivoted around religion of a sort. Fast forward, I couldn’t help but notice how part of the submissions that were assembled by some of the individuals were centered on whether or not Christianity or the God of the Bible as it were had any aorta of truth or authenticity as many believers would purport. One man in particular, as I noticed, kept ranting and huffing about why he vehemently did not believe in God in the way and manner in which the Bible typifies Him. To simply put he didn’t fancy the Christians God. But that was even far from what really pricked my attention further .

As the discussions prevailed further unto the subject of the spiritual realm and its implications on our lives as human beings,he suddenly almost ironically switches and begins to recount his own ordeal with attacks and dangers he had faced and did not know how to go about it leading him to enlist the help of a pastor(man of God) he believed was abled and knew God well enough to bring some conclusive answers to what he was facing. According to his account,he did receive the help he was looking for but that experience with the said man of God in no way resulted in a genuine change of heart and mind towards God. He was simply not saved even though at some point of his ordeal God became a necessity for his solution.

Now I’ve taken time to recount this brief but true experience because my thoughts on this virtual encounter led me to perpend the prevailing situation of many individuals today who confuse an admiration for God, His ideas and His goodies to mean salvation. As I contemplate this prevailing deception, I can’t help but think of the many people whom we assume are saved or have a relationship with God just because they either imbibe the ideals of Christianity and the Bible or just because they chase after God when they are in a predicament. Just as it’s mathematically inconceivable for one plus one to be four, it’s implausible in my opinion to merely admire God and not be saved. An admiration for God, the gospel or the ideals and precepts of Christianity as it were is not the same as being saved or having an intimate knowledge of God. The story of Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel is one that brings some depth to this thought. In chapter two(2) of Daniel we see Daniel being tasked by the king to bring an interpretation to a dream he had which no one else could bring meaningful clarity to.

Eventually Daniel did bring an interpretation, to which was an impossible feat for any man to do. After this miraculous work, king Nebuchadnezzar was clearly stunned and shaken to the core by this supernatural act so much so that he began to worship Daniel and The king answered him by saying "of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret."(Daniel 2:47 KJV). These were not the words of a person who was about to begin a relationship with God. Unfortunately these words appeared to be words that depicted Nebuchadnezzar’s admiration for the God of Israel who could enable mere mortal men to interpret dreams and hard sayings. Because in later chapters, particularly in the third and fourth chapters, we begin to see how much he was bent on serving himself and not God despite the many wonders he had witnessed up until his pride led him into seven years of beast living. It was after his wilderness experience in chapter (4:36) where his sanity returned that in my opinion he began to truly seek God.

Just like Nebuchadnezzar one could admire the works and wonders of God and even go further to validate and authenticate the reality of God and the power of the gospel probably from their own personal experiences and it still would not infer that they are saved. What it means to be saved, beyond admiration or like for God, is to have a purposefully intimate relationship with God by accepting that we are sinners in need of a savior( Romans 3:23).Sinners willing to give up their sinful nature to confidently put on Christ as their new attire(Galatians 3:27). Anyone whose life does not appear to be commensurate with any of these pertinent applications is merely a deceptive user of God and His mercies. The intention of such persons is to just use and appeal to God when it feels like a necessity.

Remember the publican in Luke 18:13-14 ? While his colleague prayed in pride he was humble to accept his sin and asked for mercy . He left that day as a justified man. It’s not enough to engage the ideals of God or to form a likeness for the things of God or even to apply precepts without being truly implicated and pricked in one’s heart of sin and the need to fully surrender to Jesus. Acts 2:37 reads that when the bystanders heard and interfaced with what the Apostles were saying they did not just hear and like it. They were pricked in their hearts. It didn’t end there, they were moved to commit their lives by the message preached wholeheartedly to God. If you ask me, I think oftentimes the reason we fail to be effective in evangelizing is we fail to see beyond the facade of admiration for God people put up so much so that we are deceived into thinking that they are truly saved or have actually given their lives to Jesus. Be discerning! Even today just like Simon the sorcerer in Acts (8), many have an admiration and liking for the gifts and blessings of God but do not want to have a standing relationship with God. We want every other thing except God Himself. Remember, the best decision you could ever make is to know the Lord.