Blog # 118 SALVATION / OBEDIENCE / LOVE

Blog # 118 SALVATION / OBEDIENCE / LOVE To say of us that we are 'saved' is similar to saying we are 'alive'. The notions of being alive or saved invites the question what does it mean to be alive, or to be saved. Both life and salvation are similar notions. We are never merely alive but always alive as someone, in the here and now, alive as doing something. So we are never merely saved, but saved as someone, in the here and now, saved as doing something. Both natural human life. and salvation, (God's life /love shared with us), ever invite us to ask questions. What do I want to do with my life? How do I go about it? What is God calling me to do with my gift of salvation? How do I go about it? To be alive is one thing. to know the fullness of life is another. To be convinced we are saved is one thing. To know what this entails is another.To help us do this with salvation we listen to what Jesus teaches. He did indeed ask the question what does it profit a person to gain the whole world and suffer the loss of one's soul. In asking this question Jesus pointed up the absolute and primary importance of the salvation of our souls. But Jesus also said be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect, and blessed are the clean of heart. We begin to see the meaning or substance of being saved is to be holy. In other words, Jesus did not come into the world just so that God could love us, but also so that we might love God! And in order to love God, as Jesus reminded us, we live by the Commandments. (Jn 15: 10). The way to make this experience a conscious act of love for God is to keep ourselves aware the Commandments are an expression of God's wisdom goodness and love. The Commandments issue forth from a personal relationship God wishes to have with those who believe. In obedience to the Commandments we share God's wisdom goodness and love. As a student becomes like her teacher by sharing the teacher's wisdom, so we become like God, in our limited human way, by sharing God's wisdom goodness and love in obedience to the Commandments. We can live by the commandments all week long, every day, at home at school at work, in church and out, twenty-four hours a day. Even our sleep can be a response to God's command to refrain from 'killing' ourselves with work and worry, the fifth Commandment! Through the gift of Baptism and salvation in the here and now we are entitled and empowered throughout our life to be united with Jesus as branches on a vine. As we grow in holiness we become more like Jesus ( Col 3: 10). To help make His holiness grow in us, which is the call of salvation, we ever seek to know Jesus better, as a boy, a young man, a carpenter, a brother, a friend, and as our God. Then will the thoughts of Jesus be our thoughts, the words of Jesus our words, and the actions and attitude of Jesus our actions and attitude. That is the basic plan of salvation, the fundamental meaning of being saved through with and in Jesus.