“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16 NAS95)
I started praying this verse daily early in my life’s journey with Jesus. Since I’ve prayed this verse so many times, God has made it take a much deeper root in my soul.
At first, the verse simply meant heaven was mine because I had believed through Jesus’ sacrifice that God reconciled me to Himself. Heaven! What else could I want?
Then God pressed the conversation deeper. Salvation had to do with my life today; how I was living. I had a secure relationship with God, but now it had to do with how I lived in relation to God and others, especially after I got married.
Marriage revealed a lot of cracks in my soul that needed repair. Salvation took on the meaning of regular repentance with how I lived now. I needed some interior rearrangement of my soul. I apparently didn’t just add heaven as an extension of my life, but transformation, daily transformation had an essential role to play.
At this point, I didn’t worry about sins that happened occasionally, but rather automatic reflexes that seemed just to happen whether I liked it or not. I knew from experience God loved me, and He also loved my wife and family. Most of those automatic reactions needed to cease or be transformed to better join His love for them.
God kept deepening what this verse means. My prayers became more authentic, vulnerable, and self-revealing with God. I started asking Him to plummet the source of what happens inside me. He led me into different practices that eliminated some of the most awful automatic responses I had.
I learned the principle of indirection. I can’t put off the old man by my own will power. I need the Spirit’s invasion in my soul for transformation, and I need to surrender to God’s surgery. Different spiritual disciplines allowed the Spirit to reorder things in my soul. My experience of God’s love grew, and I learned in a very real way, He’s my advocate for life’s fullness.
I became proud of God. I had never thought of it that way until recent years. Experiencing His embrace in my craziness, and then transformation, amazed me. His love grew more real and rich. Salvation’s bigger picture now means not only heaven, but a wonderful capacity to enjoy God who truly is love. As a son, I love telling others of this God.
For Reflection:
“The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.” (Psalm 28:7 NAS95)
- In what ways is God currently shaping salvation in you for today?
- What experiences with God have you felt were particularly profound? How were you engaging with God in that space of your life?
