Salvation's Mysteries

 

As I reflect on God’s unspeakable gift of eternal life through the death and resurrection of His Son, I am utterly undone by His love. My mind cannot begin to comprehend what He has done, or how or why. The paradox is not only in the cross, but in all aspects of His awesome salvation plan. 

These thoughts inspired the poem below, which is a repost from April 2013. May all of you have a blessed Resurrection Sunday reflecting on the mysteries of His amazing grace! Praise God that Christ is risen indeed! Trust in Him and live forever!

Hebrews 12:2; John 13:12-17; Revelation 20:4; 17:14; 19:16; Colossians 1:12-22; 1 Corinthians 15; 1:27; John 10:17; 1:3; 3:3-8, 16; 16:28;  1 John 3:16; Isaiah 53; 1:18; 55:9; Romans 5-6; 12:2;  2 Corinthians 5:19-20; 1 Peter 5:5-6; Matthew 19:30; 20:16; 18:3-4; Luke 9:24; 17:33; Ephesians 2:5-9

Salvation’s Mysteries

Jesus Christ was born to die

Endured the cross to feel the joy

Of saving sinners who were lost. 
Jesus served so we could reign

Laid down His life to rise again.

Maker of all, the King of Kings

A lowly worm crushed by our sins. 
The cruel thorns, the ugly scars

Reveal the beauty of His heart.

His blood-soaked cross made peace with God

His holiness removed our sins --

Washed white as snow in His shed blood

Reconciled our souls to Him.

He loved us despite our hate

He forgave while we rebelled

The Lord bowed down to take our shame

He gave all for our great gain.

His ways are not our ways.

His thoughts are not our thoughts.

If cast down, He will raise us up.

If we are last, we will be first.

We die to sin to be reborn

We lose our life to save our soul

We leave the world to live in Him

He died and rose so we can live.

Foolish things confound the wise

You can’t earn your way to Paradise.

Let Truth win out – think like a child.

Turn to Him – forsake your pride.

Trust in Him with childlike faith

Accept His precious gift of grace.

That moment seals your destiny.

You’ll live with Him eternally.

© 2013 Laurie Collett

Bad News, Good News: How Can We Be Saved and Know For Sure We’re Going to Heaven?

 

Image generated by AI

As the Lord has opened the door to a new ministry for my husband and me (more on that to follow!), He let me know that it would be important to write out a salvation message in my own words to use in this ministry and elsewhere as He leads. So here it is:

Bad news: We're all sinners, deserving eternal punishment in hell (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Our good works don't outweigh our sin (Isaiah 64:6), because if we've broken any part of the law, we are guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10). If we've told a little white lie, stolen a stick of gum, or even looked at someone with lust or lashed out at them in anger, we have broken the law (Matthew 5:21-23;27-28). Perfectly holy, just God cannot allow a sinner into Heaven on their own merit.

GOOD NEWS (The Gospel): God gave Jesus, His perfectly holy, sinless Son, to pay the price for all our sins by dying on the cross (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:10; 1John 2:2; 4:10). Then He rose from the dead on the third day, so that all who trust Him will live forever with Him in Heaven (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). We are saved by believing this (faith) through God's grace, or undeserved blessing, not by any works we can do. Eternal life is a freely given gift -- we can't earn it (Ephesians 2:8-9).

So what can we do to be saved?  Believe the Good News in your heart. Realize we are sinners and ask God to forgive us, and He will. Thank Jesus for dying for us to pay our sin debt and rising from the dead, so that all who trust Him will live forever. Ask Him to be Lord of your life. Pray a prayer something like this:

Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner who deserves to go to hell. I'm sorry for my sins and I need Your help to keep from sinning. I don't want to go to hell -- I want to live forever in Heaven with You. I thank you for dying on the cross for me and rising again from the dead. I believe with all my heart that You did this for me. Please save me now and give me the gift of eternal life. I don't deserve it and I can't earn it, but now I want to devote my life to serving You and telling others about You. Please guide, lead and protect me in all that I do. Thank You Lord Jesus!

What's next? If you sincerely prayed this prayer, you have a new life! You are a new creation in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and His Holy Spirit has entered your heart (2 Corinthians 1:22) to guide, comfort, and teach you (John 14:16-18). Commit your life to Him by studying and obeying His Word (2 Timothy 2:15; James 1:22; Romans 2:13), praying to Him (1 Thessalonians 5:17), getting baptized (Matthew 28:19), joining a Bible-based church (Hebrews 10:25) and telling others about how He has changed your life and about how they can be saved (2 Timothy 4:2; 1 Peter 3:15).

 

If you have just now trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please leave a comment and we will rejoice with you that you are now a born-again child of God (John 3:3-8), pray for you (Galatians 6:2), and help you in any way we can! May you grow in His grace, in faith, in love, and in Godly wisdom as His ambassador! Let His light shine through you! 

Copyright 2026 Laurie Collett

Are You Sure You’re Saved?

Minden Cathedral photo by TUBS 2010

What does it mean to be “saved?” Salvation, or receiving eternal life in Heaven, requires believing that Jesus Christ is God, the perfect, sinless Sacrifice Who died to pay our sin debt (John 1:29). Cults that deny His divinity fail this requirement.

It requires acknowledging that we are sinners deserving eternal death in hell, and repenting of our sins (Romans 3:23; 6:23). This knocks out Satan and his minions who believe and know the Bible and know who Jesus is (James 2:19), but who feel their sins are justified because of their pride.

It requires believing the Gospel of Grace, putting our trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only way (John 14:6) to Heaven (unlike Buddhists and others who believe in multiple paths to nirvana). Faith, no matter how intense or sincere, is saving faith only if it is faith in Christ and His completed work of salvation on Calvary’s cross.

It requires a personal relationship with Him, recognizing that we are sinners in need of a Savior and making Him Lord of our life. This eliminates those with a "head" knowledge of Who Christ is and what He did, without a heart relationship -- many professing Christians may fall into this category (Luke 13: 23-27). As our former pastor once said, the distance between being lost and being saved may be only 18 inches – the distance between the brain and the heart.

Romans 10:9 [I]f thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Once saved, we are always saved, because:

When we are “born again” (John 3: 3-8) by confessing and turning away from sin, and by placing our faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus as the only Way to Heaven, we are indwelled by and sealed with the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:13-14; Ephesians 2: 22).

We did nothing to merit or earn our salvation, and there is nothing we (or anyone or anything) can do to lose it or take it away, provided it was a genuine, heartfelt spiritual rebirth (Ephesians 2:8-9).

We are in the double grip of eternal security – Christ holding us tightly within His hand, which is held tightly within the Father’s hand (John 10:27-29).

No sin, past, present or future, and no trick or trap of Satan or his demons or of evil men – nothing --could cause us to lose our salvation (Romans 8:38-39).

When we are born again, we are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). One of the paradoxes of the Christian life is that we must die to truly live (1 Corinthians 15: 36-38). As we trust Christ as our Savior and turn away from our sins, we die daily to our flesh, that is, our sin nature, that would control us (Romans 6:6-14). We must fight this spiritual battle between our sin nature and the indwelling Holy Spirit by putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-17). The change that He began in us at the moment of salvation He will continue until He brings us home (Philippians 1:6).

Before the beginning of the world, God knew who would be saved by accepting His amazing offer of eternal life by grace through faith (Ephesians 1:3-15), yet the mystery is that He did so without taking away our free will to choose eternal life in Christ or to reject Him and suffer eternal death in hell. God makes no mistakes, and if we could lose our salvation, His foreknowledge would have been wrong. 

Romans 8 describes the domino effect of God’s foreknowledge: because of it, He has predestined believers to be like Christ, justified (made “just as if” we had never sinned), and glorified. Because of that, we are beyond condemnation: God is for us, so who can be against us? (Romans 8:29-37).

God saved us for a purpose, and each of us is fitted into His body as precisely as a stone block is fitted into a cathedral vault. If one could lose their salvation, the building would fall apart (Ephesians 2: 18-22).

Although we must daily fight the battle between sin, which ultimately results in death (Romans 6:23), and the new, abundant life we received at the moment of salvation through the indwelling Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ has won the war on our behalf. We know how it will all turn out; we can look forward not only to the Rapture but to His glorious appearing as we return to earth with Him to fight the Battle of Armageddon; and we can stand victorious on His promise of eternal life.

He has permanently conquered sin and death for all who trust in Him as Lord and Savior (1 Cor: 15:20-22; 55-57). Praise God for His amazing love, mercy and grace, allowing us to choose salvation through faith in His Son!  Praise God that He securely keeps that gift for us forever!

© 2013 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

 

Salvation's Mysteries

As I reflect on God’s unspeakable gift of eternal life through the death and resurrection of His Son, I am utterly undone by His love. My mind cannot begin to comprehend what He has done, or how or why. The paradox is not only in the cross, but in all aspects of His awesome salvation plan. 

These thoughts inspired the poem below, which is a repost from April 2013. May all of you have a blessed Resurrection Sunday reflecting on the mysteries of His amazing grace! Praise God that Christ is risen indeed! Trust in Him and live forever!

Hebrews 12:2; John 13:12-17; Revelation 20:4; 17:14; 19:16; Colossians 1:12-22; 1 Corinthians 15; 1:27; John 10:17; 1:3; 3:3-8, 16; 16:28;  1 John 3:16; Isaiah 53; 1:18; 55:9; Romans 5-6; 12:2;  2 Corinthians 5:19-20; 1 Peter 5:5-6; Matthew 19:30; 20:16; 18:3-4; Luke 9:24; 17:33; Ephesians 2:5-9

 

Salvation’s Mysteries

Jesus Christ was born to die

Endured the cross to feel the joy

Of saving sinners who were lost. 
Jesus served so we could reign

Laid down His life to rise again.

Maker of all, the King of Kings

A lowly worm crushed by our sins. 
The cruel thorns, the ugly scars

Reveal the beauty of His heart.

His blood-soaked cross made peace with God

His holiness removed our sins --

Washed white as snow in His shed blood

Reconciled our souls to Him.

He loved us despite our hate

He forgave while we rebelled

The Lord bowed down to take our shame

He gave all for our great gain.

His ways are not our ways.

His thoughts are not our thoughts.

If cast down, He will raise us up.

If we are last, we will be first.

We die to sin to be reborn

We lose our life to save our soul

We leave the world to live in Him

He died and rose so we can live.

Foolish things confound the wise

You can’t earn your way to Paradise.

Let Truth win out – think like a child.

Turn to Him – forsake your pride.

Trust in Him with childlike faith

Accept His precious gift of grace.

That moment seals your destiny.

You’ll live with Him eternally.

© 2013 Laurie Collett

Hosanna – Save Now!

  In Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday, nearly 2000 years ago, (Matthew. 21: 1-11; Mark 11: 1-10; Luke 19:29-38; John 12: 12-19), He used ordinary things -- an ass and colt -- for the most significant journey in history. The crowd used what was on hand -- their clothes and palm branches -- to worship Jesus as the King.

John tells us that the multitude cried Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord (John 12:13). 

“Hosanna,” which appears six times in the Gospels referring to the triumphal entry, has similar forms in the Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. It means "save now,” “rescue," or "savior," and in Hebrew, it is “Jehovah hoshiah-nna” which means “I beseech thee, O Lord, save now.” 

Those shouting it on that day most likely did not realize the true significance of their greeting, as they were not looking for salvation from their sins or for eternal life, but for a warrior and king to deliver them from Roman oppression. 

Luke’s Gospel says that as Christ approached the mount of Olives, the disciples rejoiced and praised God for the miracles He had done, shouting Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest (Luke 19:38). 

This greeting is prophesied in Psalm 118: 25 Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. 

But Psalm 118 goes on to emphasize what the crowd did not realize: 27 God is the Lord, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. 

As Jesus, Light of the world (John 1:9; 8:12) entered Jerusalem on this occasion, it was not to conquer Israel’s enemies and to rule over the city, as His followers had hoped (Matthew 20:21). Instead, it was to sacrifice Himself, the perfect, divine God the Son (Isaiah 53:5-12). He would “save now” by laying down His life (John 15:13) to pay for the sins of all mankind (John 1:29), so that all who would repent and trust in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6) would have everlasting life (John 3:16). 

Despite their blindness to His true purpose, Jesus’ followers praised Him mightily and loudly on that first Palm Sunday, so much so that the Pharisees demanded that He stop their acclamations (Luke 19:39). The world will always throw a wet blanket on Christian praise, but it is ironic that the chief religious elders of that day were the ones to do it. 

But God’s creation cannot be silent in worshipping Him, and Jesus answered “If these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out (v.40).” Genuine Christian praise ultimately can’t be suppressed because even the creation praises the Creator – bird songs, babbling brooks, flowers wafting their scent upward to Heaven all glorify Him. 

Sadly, the crowd of about 2,700,000 Jews gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover offered Him genuine praise, but for the wrong reasons. Matthew 21:10 tells us that they were “moved,” with the corresponding Greek word meaning “convulsed” or “stirred” as by an earthquake. 

They cried “Hosanna,” recognizing that He was the son of David, as expected for the King Who would deliver them (Jeremiah 22:2; Revelation 22:16). They knew He was of the right lineage to rule over them, but not that He should be called Lord by David himself (Psalm 110:1; Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36). They realized that Jesus came in the name of the Lord, but not that He Himself was Lord of all (Matthew 21:9-10; John 13:13; Revelation 17:14;19:16). 

 They asked the question that is the most significant question in all history: “Who is this?” (v. 10). And they answered their own question incorrectly, saying that Jesus was the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. 

“Who is this?” is the trillion-dollar question for all time, which every person must deal with to determine their eternal destiny. Not one of us can ignore the question of who Jesus is to us. We can be hostile and reject Him altogether as a blasphemer (Matthew 26:65, Mark 14:64) like the Pharisees who pridefully placed their trust in their own good works and religiosity to get to Heaven (Luke 18:10-14),. But our destiny will be eternal hell, for we are saved not by works but by His grace through our faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

We can get our emotions stirred up over praising a popular hero, like many in the crowd who waved branches and shouted praises without knowing or accepting Him. Their feelings were shallow and short-lived (Matthew 13:20-21), as was evident when they cried out for His crucifixion five days later. But God knows the hearts (Luke 16:15; Acts 15:8), and mouthing empty praises will not change our destiny from eternal punishment in hell (Luke 13:23-28). 

We can even honor Jesus as a good man, teacher, and prophet, or God’s messenger to tell us God’s will. But if we reject His claim to be God in the flesh (John 1:1-14), our destiny will still be eternal torment in hell (John 3:18). 

Only if we call on His Name, accepting Jesus as Lord, God and Savior, will we have eternal life with Him in Heaven (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13). Only if we ask Him “Save now!” – “Hosanna” – recognizing that we are sinners in need of a Savior, that our good works apart from His salvation are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), and that faith in His death, burial and resurrection is the only way to Heaven, do we have the right answer to that crucial question. 

Psalm 24 asks that fateful question and gives a paradigm-shifting answer, affirming that Jesus is LORD! 

8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.  9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.  10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah. 

He is our risen Savior Who conquered sin and death forever more! (Isaiah 25:8; 1 Corinthians 15:54-55) Through Him alone we have eternal life! Trust Jesus today as God, King of glory and Lord of your life!

© 2014 Laurie Collett
Reposted from the archives

Hosanna – Save Now!

God used ordinary things to convey the extraordinary meaning of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, when He rode on a donkey and was hailed by His people. John tells us that the multitude cried Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord (John 12:13). 

“Hosanna,” which appears six times in the Gospels referring to the triumphal entry, has similar forms in the Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. It means "save now,” “rescue," or "savior," and in Hebrew, it is “Jehovah hoshiah-nna” which means “I beseech thee, O Lord, save now.” 

Those shouting it on that day most likely did not realize the true significance of their greeting, as they were not looking for salvation from their sins or for eternal life, but for a warrior and king to deliver them from Roman oppression. 

Luke’s Gospel says that as Christ approached the mount of Olives, the disciples rejoiced and praised God for the miracles He had done, shouting Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest (Luke 19:38). 

This greeting is prophesied in Psalm 118: 25 Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. 

But Psalm 118 goes on to emphasize what the crowd did not realize: 27 God is the Lord, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. 

As Jesus, Light of the world (John 1:9; 8:12) entered Jerusalem on this occasion, it was not to conquer Israel’s enemies and to rule over the city, as His followers had hoped (Matthew 20:21). Instead, it was to sacrifice Himself, the perfect, divine God the Son (Isaiah 53:5-12). He would “save now” by laying down His life (John 15:13) to pay for the sins of all mankind (John 1:29), so that all who would repent and trust in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6) would have everlasting life (John 3:16). 

Despite their blindness to His true purpose, Jesus’ followers praised Him mightily and loudly on that first Palm Sunday, so much so that the Pharisees demanded that He stop their acclamations (Luke 19:39). The world will always throw a wet blanket on Christian praise, but it is ironic that the chief religious elders of that day were the ones to do it. 

But God’s creation cannot be silent in worshipping Him, and Jesus answered “If these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out (v.40).” Genuine Christian praise ultimately can’t be suppressed because even the creation praises the Creator – bird songs, babbling brooks, flowers wafting their scent upward to Heaven all glorify Him. 

Sadly, the crowd of about 2,700,000 Jews gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover offered Him genuine praise, but for the wrong reasons. Matthew 21:10 tells us that they were “moved,” with the corresponding Greek word meaning “convulsed” or “stirred” as by an earthquake. 

They cried “Hosanna,” recognizing that He was the son of David, as expected for the King Who would deliver them (Jeremiah 22:2; Revelation 22:16). They knew He was of the right lineage to rule over them, but not that He should be called Lord by David himself (Psalm 110:1; Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36). They realized that Jesus came in the name of the Lord, but not that He Himself was Lord of all (Matthew 21:9-10; John 13:13; Revelation 17:14;19:16). 

 They asked the question that is the most significant question in all history: “Who is this?” (v. 10). And they answered their own question incorrectly, saying that Jesus was the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. 

“Who is this?” is the trillion-dollar question for all time, which every person must deal with to determine their eternal destiny. Not one of us can ignore the question of who Jesus is to us. We can be hostile and reject Him altogether as a blasphemer (Matthew 26:65, Mark 14:64) like the Pharisees who pridefully placed their trust in their own good works and religiosity to get to Heaven (Luke 18:10-14),. But our destiny will be eternal hell, for we are saved not by works but by His grace through our faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

We can get our emotions stirred up over praising a popular hero, like many in the crowd who waved branches and shouted praises without knowing or accepting Him. Their feelings were shallow and short-lived (Matthew 13:20-21), as was evident when they cried out for His crucifixion five days later. But God knows the hearts (Luke 16:15; Acts 15:8), and mouthing empty praises will not change our destiny from eternal punishment in hell (Luke 13:23-28). 

We can even honor Jesus as a good man, teacher, and prophet, or God’s messenger to tell us God’s will. But if we reject His claim to be God in the flesh (John 1:1-14), our destiny will still be eternal torment in hell (John 3:18). 

Only if we call on His Name, accepting Jesus as Lord, God and Savior, will we have eternal life with Him in Heaven (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13). Only if we ask Him “Save now!” – “Hosanna” – recognizing that we are sinners in need of a Savior, that our good works apart from His salvation are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), and that faith in His death, burial and resurrection is the only way to Heaven, do we have the right answer to that crucial question. 

Psalm 24 asks that fateful question and gives a paradigm-shifting answer, affirming that Jesus is LORD! 

8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.  9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.  10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah. 

He is our risen Savior Who conquered sin and death forever more! (Isaiah 25:8; 1 Corinthians 15:54-55) Through Him alone we have eternal life! Trust Jesus today as God, King of glory and Lord of your life!

© 2014 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives