Salvation Summaries

According to Kevin McKinney’s Bible Reference Sheet on the Old Testament book of Ezra, of the nearly 3 million people who left Israel (and were exiled to Babylon), fewer than 50,000 decided to return.

Imagine that. An invading enemy, the Babylonians, destroy your homeland, and take you as captives back to where they live, where there are different people, gods, foods and culture. They require you to assimilate into their way of life, which differs from your own. You are forced to stay there for 70 years. And then, when you have the opportunity to return to your homeland, to the promised land God gave you, and live again with fellow Jews, you chose not to.

We are guilty of the same thing. It’s not the Babylonians we are captive to, but the world. The world tells us to get the highest paying job we can find. Buy the biggest house. Drive the nicest car. Have two kids and send them to public schools. Watch movies and TV, root for your favorite sports teams, and spend hours each day on social media. Exercise a little. Run errands to the grocery store and Wal-Mart. And then, if there’s any time left, say a prayer to God, and maybe – just maybe – read a short devotional or a few verses in your Bible to fulfill your duty as a Christian. We do this over and over, day after day, and never change. We become complacent with what the world has to offer, and seek to “fit in” with what everyone else is doing and how they are living.

As Christians, we need to reorient our lives so they line up with Scripture, not the world. Colossians 2:6 says, “And now, just as you accepted (or received) Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to (or walk in) him.”

Who is Jesus? Our Lord. What does that mean? The Greek word used here is kurios, which means “master, owner.” The same Greek word is used in Colossians 4;1, which says, “Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.” If you are a Christian, Jesus owns you. He is your master. You do what He wants you to do. And what He wants is not what the world wants.

As your master and owner, Jesus wants you to live in obedience to, or walk in, Him. According to the Believer’s Bible Commentary, “You cannot walk and remain in the same place. So it is in the Christian life; we are either going forward or backward.”

Colossians 2:7 says, “Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.” We are to grow in our faith, and our lives are to change so that they overflow with thanksgiving for what He has done for us.

Fellow believer. Our lives should be centered around Jesus, our Lord. We then seek wisdom and guidance from Him on what type of job we should have, how much money we spend on a house and a car, how many children we have and where we send them to school, and how we spend our time each day. We read in His Word and pray to Him so that we grow in our faith, as He wants us to. And we don’t compare ourselves to what others (non-Christians) do, for they have a different master.

Prayer,
Jesus. You are my Lord. My master. My owner. Forgive me for not assigning you first place in my life. Help me to reorient my life around you. Help me to grow closer to You as I study in your Word each day, and pray to you throughout the day. Help me to overflow with thanksgiving for all you have done for me. Amen.