“Take the helmet of salvation…”
Ephesians 6:17
We’ve devoted several Write the Word bookmarks this year to the elements of the Armor of God. You can access previous ones by clicking the link for each:
This month, we’ll be studying the Helmet of Salvation. The Sword of the Spirit will be our focus for the next installment of the series, coming in October.
Like many others, salvation is a “churchy” word we use frequently, but we might find it hard to pin down a definition if asked to explain what it means to someone outside the faith.
As I pondered the meaning of salvation and its implication to my life, the old series Star Trek came to mind. (Possibly because I’ve been watching it on Netflix, as I’m growing increasingly disgusted with prime-time television. I just wanted to have something on while organizing the basement. Come to think of it, I may have just generated ideas for two upcoming blog posts: basement organization, and being careful what we watch!)
When Captain Kirk needed to return to the Starship Enterprise, he would speak into his communicator to his chief engineer, “Beam me up, Scotty!”
If you’re a fellow Trekkie, you already know that phrase is one you might use as a humorous way of saying, “Get me out of this situation!”
The older I get, the more I realize that life itself is a bit of a situation. We seem to be perpetually in a jam, coming out of a jam, or heading into a jam. Perhaps, then, we can think of exiting earth and entering heaven as the time we get to “beam up.”
Our salvation – our acceptance of Christ as our Savior – means that when we leave this world, heaven awaits us. Our hope for eternity on that day is all about Jesus. That’s the good news of the Gospel.
Because of the Gospel, we have confident hope for that day. We have steadfast assurance for that day. We know we do not grieve without hope, and we know there is life beyond this one here on Earth. That is indeed good news … great news! The best of news!
But is the Gospel more than that? Is it not just for that day, but for THIS day? If the only purpose of salvation was to get us to heaven, why wouldn’t God just “beam us up” the moment we accepted Christ as our Savior?
Does – or should – the gospel change my today?
Does – or should – the reality of my salvation affect my words, thoughts, actions, attitudes, and behaviors in THIS life and on THIS day?
As we Write the Word this month, let us celebrate our life in Christ, lean into renewed gratefulness for our salvation, and ponder its implications for living in this world as we await getting “beamed up” for eternity.
Get ready to join us as we study SALVATION in September,
by downloading your Write The Word bookmarks and S.O.A.P. study pages today:
Write The Word: Salvation — Standard Bookmark
Write The Word: Salvation — Large Print Bookmark
Write The Word: Salvation — S.O.A.P. Study Pages
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