Why are we saved? What is the point?

Let me ask what may seem to be an absurd question at first glance. “Why are you saved?” I’m not asking a question about “How are you saved?” I’m also not asking, “What is salvation?” I’m asking, “What does our salvation mean?”

If we focus exclusively on the “how” or “what” of our salvation without asking about the “why” we will undoubtedly miss the greatness of God’s good news. Let me be explicit. When we focus on “how we are saved” or “what salvation is” we might be tempted to come up with definitions that are exhaustive. We attempt to do our best to explain in detail what has to happen for our salvation and what our part is in that situation. We may even pervert the dynamic work of the Holy Spirit to bring us to new life into a dead transaction where we perform an action (believe or accept) and God issues us our “Get out of Hell Free” card.

“He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And the Second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Matthew 22.37-40 (NRSV)

These two commandments beautifully summarize “why” we were created. At the same time, these two commandments, apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in our life, are impossible for us to fulfill. As the little lumps of self-centeredness we are before God gets a hold of us, we cannot do what we were created to do.

We are saved to be what God created us to be. We are saved to free us from slavery to ourselves. We are saved from the desire to have the kind of pride that demands our own way. We are saved from the pride that might come from experiencing God’s grace. We are saved from the desire to Lord over other people. We are saved from all of that which is not God’s love operating in our lives.

I think our brother John Wesley Summarizes it best when he says:

“It were well you should be thoroughly sensible of this,--‘ the heaven of heavens is love.’ There is nothing higher in religion; there is, in effect, nothing else; if you look for anything but more love, you are looking wide of the mark, you are getting out of the royal way. And when you are asking others, ‘Have you received this or that blessing?’ If you mean anything but more love, you mean wrong; you are leading them out of the way, and putting them on a false scent. Settle it in your heart from the moment God has saved you from all sin, you are to aim at nothing more, but more of that love described in the thirteenth chapter of Corinthians. You can go no higher than this, till you are carried into Abraham’s bosom.”
John Wesley, A Plain Account of Christian Perfection available online at: http://wesley.nnu.edu/john_wesley/plain_account/

I suppose that God’s mercy is wide enough for to save me as one who will never, this side of eternity, understand the Trinity or other mysteries of the faith perfectly. In fact, that is the good news of the Gospel. While we were far away from God, God never gave up on us. God’s love never fails. God’s grace never stops calling all people, in all places, at all times to God’s own self.

Prayer:
Almighty God, please, please help us. We focus on our salvation like it is a thing. We rob it of power. We kill your joy. We argue and whine and complain. Shut us up long enough to listen to what you say about love. Annihilate the pride we use to club each other. Help us to aim at love and by the power of your Holy Spirit to hit the mark. Help us to urge each other on to more love instead of giving each other grief. Remind us that love is not rude. In the name of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.