(John 6:28-29) Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
I was okay in math growing up, and it was even kind of fun, like a puzzle. But when it got complicated I really struggled. I always asked myself if I would ever use complex math. It was hard to get motivated for the assignments or even to look forward to the next level. But I pushed through and if I remember I even got a pretty good grade. I just like the simple stuff. And you know what? That’s what I use today because it works for everyday life.
That’s the way it is with the EQUATION FOR SALVATION. God has made the way of salvation easy for us humans. We don’t have to come up with some high level of a system whereby we may be saved by a righteous God. It’s just simple as can be, like 1, 2, 3! Want to know what it is?
FAITH + 0 = SALVATION
Don’t you love it? Isn’t that just as simple as can be? It means all you need to be saved is faith in the work of Christ from the cross and you will be saved!
First of all, God gives you the faith: (Eph 2:8) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Isn’t that just the best? The Lord gives you faith as a gift to believe in Jesus. You don’t have to go out and buy your own tools!
Now let’s talk about the zero. That is a big nothing because packed in that low number is a high degree of meaning. It means Jesus did the work on the cross when He died for our sins. He shed His blood to wash away everything we ever did (and will do) wrong. When He died He said “It is finished”. Over and done. He paid the payment for our debt. It’s wiped clean. Now you can appreciate that zero because inside that circle is the suffering of our Lord who made it possible for us to attain the righteousness of God.
So we have the faith and we have the zero. Now what does that total out to? Salvation! Simple isn’t it? When I first put my faith in Christ for forgiveness of sins and eternal life, I asked my friend if there was anything else I had to do. He said not a thing. He told me about the EQUATION FOR SALVATION and I’ve been telling people about it ever since.
Don’t make it so hard to be saved! (Rom 10:9-10) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Louie