Welcome to "Tuesday Mornings," a weekly answer to the question, "What word of encouragement does God have for me today?" This is it.

 

When Nicodemus came to Jesus with questions about faith, Jesus said to him, "You must be born again." Nicodemus had no idea what that meant. Jesus explained it to him.

 

The Apostle Paul used other words to describe true religious experience: "It is God who saved us and chose us to live a holy life." (2 Timothy 1:9 NLT) Writing to the Church at Ephesus Paul said, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9 KJV)

 

"Saved" is such a strong, powerful word. It is kin to the word "salvation." It means being saved from something undesirable that leads to punishment, and being saved to something very desirable that leads to eternal glory.

 

Someone said that all of God's purposes are saving purposes. In the broad sense being saved includes ... being forgiven ... being justified ... being redeemed ... being set free from guilt and condemnation ... being reconciled to God ... being cleansed from sin ... being purified ... being set apart to serve ... being summoned to live holy lives ... being healed ... being glorified." And this is a partial list! It is quite correct to say, "I was saved ... I am saved ... I am being saved ... and I will be saved when I die." It's God's plan for you!

 

If Paul was correct (and I have no reason to believe otherwise), God had us in mind even before he willed the universe into being. Paul said that this was his plan "long before the world began." (2 Timothy 1:9) Whether the universe is thousands of years old or billions of years old, even before then God had a plan for us to be saved. He did it all for you and me. I love these words from a song recorded by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir:

 

I am saved by your mercy,

I've been transformed by your love.

You're my glory and the lifter of my head,

Strong Deliverer, you'll fight my battles in my stead;

You will preserve me by your mercy.

Hallelujah, I am saved.

 

When you quit shedding tears, read on below the message is entitled simply, "Saved." Have a blessed week, my friend.

 

Tom Barnard

A Senior Encourager

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Saved!

Tom Barnard

 

he young mother was serious when she asked me the question. At first, it caught me off guard. She had called to ask if I could meet with her. She said she had some questions about what Christians believe. I was happy to visit with her. Here was the question she asked:

 

“What does it mean to be saved?”

 

She was not a member of any church. In fact, she didn’t attend church. She had not been raised in a family that attended church. She said she didn’t know anything about the Bible. She had enrolled her daughter in a church-run pre-school near where they lived. When her daughter repeated at home things she had learned at school, the mother became interested. As simply as possible, I shared with her what the Bible taught about finding peace with God. We prayed together. She left. I placed her on the list of those who receive these “Tuesday Mornings.”

 

Two years passed. Several months ago this young mother became depressed and attempted suicide. She entered counseling in her home town. She decided it was time to try church. She visited the church where her daughter attended pre-school. Here is how she describes the experience:

 

“When I entered the church that day, my feelings of fear, ignorance, anxiety, and hopelessness lifted and were gone. The pastor spoke about accepting Christ as Savior and gave an invitation. I responded on that very first Sunday, with my daughter’s teacher by my side and two other teachers following. I accepted Christ as Savior. I started a new life that day—I had no prior knowledge of the Bible or church. I had feared for 30 years that people would scorn me for my ignorance of the Bible. I now know the only thing that matters is inside me and my open desire to learn from the Lord and to follow the path he has for me.”

 

Last Sunday—two months after accepting Jesus Christ into her life—she was baptized. I was there. She is on her way. In her testimony read during her baptism, this is how she concluded her statement of belief: “Now I am active in all church functions. I am going to Sunday school and starting a discipleship class soon. I am eager to learn from God’s word and become the best Christian wife and mother I can be.”

 

In his book, To Timothy and All Other Disciples, Reuben Welch said, “I wish there was a way to take the word saved and spread it out and make it bigger than we normally think about it. Behind the word saved is the big word salvation, which I have come to believe is about the biggest word in God’s Book.”

 

Here are a few of the lyrics of the song, “Saved,” as recorded by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir:

 

You have pardoned my transgressions,

You have sanctified my soul,

You have honored by confession,

By your blood, Lord, I’ve been made whole.

 

I am saved by your mercy,

I’ve been transformed by your love.

You’re my glory, and the lifter of my head,

Strong Deliverer, you’ll fight my battles in my stead,

You will preserve me by your mercy.

Hallelujah, I am saved.

 

What does it mean to be saved? That’s what it means. It’s about “the biggest word” in God’s Book.