By Pastor Tom Shanklin

While I was ministering at a church in Manitoba, Canada on a Sunday evening, I was preaching on the subject, “The Remedy for Sin and Sickness,” expounding the wonderful truths of God’s salvation and healing through His Son, Jesus Christ.

What a beautiful time the congregation and I had in the scriptures. I shared about the tree being cast into the bitter waters at Marah, where the Lord told his people, “I am the Lord that healeth thee.” The tree, I said, represents, the cross of Calvary, which when it is cast into bitter waters of our life provides a remedy for our sins, distresses and sicknesses.

I spoke of the serpent on the brass pole, which God used as an emblem of salvation and healing, for the Israelites who were being bitten by snakes as a result of their sins. Just as they looked to the brazen serpent, we can look to Christ, who died in exchange from our sins, that we might receive eternal life, and healing.

As I shared these exciting truths, I was more and more encouraged about the love of our heavenly Father and His absolute desire to forgive us and cleanse us of all sins, and to heal us, spirit soul and body.

I gave an invitation for salvation and at first, no one responded. As I prayed, the Lord said, “You have presented me as Savior, and Healer and Deliverer, but you have not presented me as Lord.” I then told the congregation what the Lord had spoken to me and gave a short summation of the call of God to “Make Jesus the Lord of your life.”When I gave the altar call again, about eight people (all adult males) responded to the call to make Jesus the Lord of their lives.

This truth was not something new to me. In fact, my own life had dramatically changed when I heard the Lord say to me one day, “Turn from the things of the world.” I responded with two words that changed my life: “Yes Lord!”

But the experience I had during that altar call underscored the fact that in order to present the full Gospel, we must present Jesus not only as Savior, but also as Lord. A person can go to church, study the Bible, have an understanding of the message of the cross. They can trust in the finished work of Christ for salvation, but Jesus Himself said it most plainly, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” There is no salvation apart from a true turning away from sin and turning to the living God. Jesus did not come to save us IN our sins, but rather to save us FROM our sins.

Now understand, the Bible is the only true roadmap to salvation and life through Jesus Christ. It is God’s book, given to us to reveal Himself, to understand our fallen condition, and the way back to God through Jesus Christ.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. God is awesome and holy and mighty. He is all glory and wonder. He is unapproachable by sinful man. No one shall stand in the presence of Almighty God with the stain of sin.

Man, on the other hand, is hopelessly sinful. Since Adam sinned, man has been born into rebellion, separation and enmity from God. Spiritual death and wickedness is our lot and portion in life. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. We have broken the moral law of God. We have not loved him, honored Him and obeyed him. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6, KJV). We have all gone our own way. . . done our own thing. Like the Frank Sinatra song, “I did it my way.”

In our society, doing it “our way” is to be admired. Doing our own thing is glorified. But in the mind of God, it is rebellion and evil. It is separation from our heavenly Father and it is spiritual death. God told Adam, in the day that you eat thereof (in other words, do you own thing) you will die.”

In that gift of salvation, not only are our sins forgiven, but our lives are changed, not by our own strength or self-discipline, but rather by His power working in our lives. True salvation is a miracle from God. God makes us new creatures in Christ. It causes us to want to do right and live a life pleasing to God.

But we must open the door and receive the gift of salvation procured for us at Calvary. And in order to open that door, we must repent, making Jesus the Lord of our lives. As the scripture says, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:7, KJV). His mercy and pardon comes only when we repent.

There will be no rebels in heaven. We need to see that our sin is an absolute insult and a slap in the face of God. We must make a conscious decision to turn from spiritual darkness and unto God, to receive Jesus not only as Savior, but also as Lord. Only then can we receive His mercy and the miracle of the new birth. Repent and believe the good Gospel.