Salvation

This may be my first evangelistic writing, but I have been inspired to write on the topic.

When I was young, every year in the early summer I would go to a relative’s ranch and help with the roundup and treatment of their sheep herd.

It was shearing time and the sheep had to be gathered, sheared, dipped, and medicated. What I learned in my youth about sheep has proved useful in my spiritual walk.

I learned that sheep are not very smart, but they are very gregarious and want to be with the rest of the herd. They graze with their heads down, wandering hither and yon, and eating as they go.

If you are ever around a herd of sheep the first thing you will notice is they bleat to one another often. The group will graze and one or another will bleat, and those that have not looked up in a while will raise their heads, see the others, and then continue to graze calmly.

Sheep really are not very smart animals in many ways, so goats are commonly put in their herds because sheep will forget to seek water and die of thirst. (I often wondered if somehow sheep couldn’t smell water like other animals.)

The continuous bleating of random herd members reassures them, but all too often one or more will wander far enough away that they get lost. It often takes them a while to realize they are lost, but when they do, they will begin calling out in panic. (We will revisit this shortly.)

The biggest key to receiving Salvation is, first and foremost, the realization of being lost! There must come a time where you feel convicted of your sins and have a great need to be rid of them and that sinful life.

Now, I am not one who believes that you must answer an altar call in a Church service or revival meeting. When and if you answer the beckoning of the Holy Spirit, you can be saved wherever you are. I was saved in my front yard one night around 11:30.

Make no mistake, many have been deceived by someone saying “repeat this prayer and you will be saved”, but that, dear reader, is false teaching!

Salvation is an affair of the heart, soul, and mind. There must be a deep sense of conviction and a desire to be spared the harsh judgment of the lost. Most desire to receive salvation, but for some it is a dreadful fear of hell itself.

The point I’m trying to make is it was not words that followed someone saying, “repeat after me”. It was a panicked cry of repentance to the Lord, prompted by the Holy Spirit in absolute recognition of the sovereignty of Jesus Christ.

A call to Jesus for salvation, either out of fear of Hell or a deep conviction of sin, in the complete understanding that through His sacrifice on the Cross, is the only possible way in which you can be saved.

I understand this teaching may be contrary to what some think, but Scripture confirms it: John 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.

These were the words of Jesus Himself.

Jesus Christ is the ONLY path to salvation. It is not good work, not words, deeds, or actions.

You can have the kindest heart of any person on earth and perish into eternal damnation if you are not saved by the blood of Christ. In John 14:6 Jesus said unto him, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”

Let’s go back to that lost lamb. Once that lamb realized it was lost, it began to cry out for safety. Why? The answer lies in its understanding of who it is.

The lamb knows that it is much safer in the presence of the herd and safe in the presence of the Shepherd! It also knows that it is completely vulnerable when alone and that all predators prey on sheep because they are easy prey with no defenses other than what speed they might possess.

Our soul, when drawn by God, is aware we are lost. (This is a pivotal point in our life and a most important one as well!) When/if we experience this feeling of being lost, our salvation depends on our belief in the Lord Jesus Christ! Without belief, there is no salvation! In John 6:47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.

Let me say this, believing that there was a man called Jesus is not believing in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God! Like that lost lamb crying out, we must come to the Lord as helpless as a child knowing He, the Lord God, is our only hope!

Dear reader, after reading this if you are feeling the call of the Holy Spirit and you are lost, please do not wait!

Cry out to the Lord to come and save you! Just as in the parable of the Shepherd, He will come to your rescue and you will be saved. Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved! If you feel the call, run -do not hesitate- to Jesus the Christ.

If you have called out for your salvation, please seek out a mature Christian, Pastor, or Teacher to help guide you in your walk with God. Read the Bible and seek God always!

I pray this writing will touch the lives and hearts of all who read it. In Jesus’ name, Amen

This may be my first evangelistic writing, but I have been inspired to write on the topic.

When I was young, every year in the early summer I would go to a relative’s ranch and help with the roundup and treatment of their sheep herd.

It was shearing time and the sheep had to be gathered, sheared, dipped, and medicated. What I learned in my youth about sheep has proved useful in my spiritual walk.

I learned that sheep are not very smart, but they are very gregarious and want to be with the rest of the herd. They graze with their heads down, wandering hither and yon, and eating as they go.

If you are ever around a herd of sheep the first thing you will notice is they bleat to one another often. The group will graze and one or another will bleat, and those that have not looked up in a while will raise their heads, see the others, and then continue to graze calmly.

Sheep really are not very smart animals in many ways, so goats are commonly put in their herds because sheep will forget to seek water and die of thirst. (I often wondered if somehow sheep couldn’t smell water like other animals.)

The continuous bleating of random herd members reassures them, but all too often one or more will wander far enough away that they get lost. It often takes them a while to realize they are lost, but when they do, they will begin calling out in panic. (We will revisit this shortly.)

The biggest key to receiving Salvation is, first and foremost, the realization of being lost! There must come a time where you feel convicted of your sins and have a great need to be rid of them and that sinful life.

Now, I am not one who believes that you must answer an altar call in a Church service or revival meeting. When and if you answer the beckoning of the Holy Spirit, you can be saved wherever you are. I was saved in my front yard one night around 11:30.

Make no mistake, many have been deceived by someone saying “repeat this prayer and you will be saved”, but that, dear reader, is false teaching!

Salvation is an affair of the heart, soul, and mind. There must be a deep sense of conviction and a desire to be spared the harsh judgment of the lost. Most desire to receive salvation, but for some it is a dreadful fear of hell itself.

The point I’m trying to make is it was not words that followed someone saying, “repeat after me”. It was a panicked cry of repentance to the Lord, prompted by the Holy Spirit in absolute recognition of the sovereignty of Jesus Christ.

A call to Jesus for salvation, either out of fear of Hell or a deep conviction of sin, in the complete understanding that through His sacrifice on the Cross, is the only possible way in which you can be saved.

I understand this teaching may be contrary to what some think, but Scripture confirms it: John 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.

These were the words of Jesus Himself.

Jesus Christ is the ONLY path to salvation. It is not good work, not words, deeds, or actions. You can have the kindest heart of any person on earth and perish into eternal damnation if you are not saved by the blood of Christ. In John 14:6 Jesus said unto him, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”

Let’s go back to that lost lamb. Once that lamb realized it was lost, it began to cry out for safety. Why? The answer lies in its understanding of who it is.

The lamb knows that it is much safer in the presence of the herd and safe in the presence of the Shepherd! It also knows that it is completely vulnerable when alone and that all predators prey on sheep because they are easy prey with no defenses other than what speed they might possess.

Our soul, when drawn by God, is aware we are lost. (This is a pivotal point in our life and a most important one as well!) When/if we experience this feeling of being lost, our salvation depends on our belief in the Lord Jesus Christ! Without belief, there is no salvation! In John 6:47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.

Let me say this, believing that there was a man called Jesus is not believing in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God! Like that lost lamb crying out, we must come to the Lord as helpless as a child knowing He, the Lord God, is our only hope!

Dear reader, after reading this if you are feeling the call of the Holy Spirit and you are lost, please do not wait!

Cry out to the Lord to come and save you! Just as in the parable of the Shepherd, He will come to your rescue and you will be saved. Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved! If you feel the call, run -do not hesitate- to Jesus the Christ.

If you have called out for your salvation, please seek out a mature Christian, Pastor, or Teacher to help guide you in your walk with God. Read the Bible and seek God always!

I pray this writing will touch the lives and hearts of all who read it. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Kenneth Kellar
A Man Called by God to Teach and Disciple