Salvation is the renovation of our soul so it becomes like God. Problems that occur in our lives, such as in our marriages and in our relationships with other Christians (some of which we have discussed in the past several blogs), are opportunities for this renovation to occur. If we avoid these opportunities and instead choose that which benefits us here on earth, we are, as Jesus says, forfeiting our soul to gain the whole world (Mark 8:36).
Why do we call ourselves Christians and choose that which benefits ourselves but harms others? The answer is that it is easier to conform to the existing world than it is to follow the teaching of Jesus and change ourselves. Those who say religion is “the opium of the masses” obviously do not understand this point because God always calls upon people to do what is more difficult than they would prefer to do. [1] All the martyrs of faith are eloquent testaments to that fact. It is easier to blame our DNA, our culture, or others for our problems and remain the person we currently are than to embark upon the changes we know we should make.
The Bible says we are to be the salt of the earth. It does not take much salt to have an impact on how food tastes. Christians do not need to be a majority in the world to have a major impact on it. “. . .But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men” (Matthew 5:13). And that is exactly what has happened with Christianity. Christianity has seen its influence lessen and the fault is ours because we have accepted a gospel that is limited to our belief system or a few actions instead of involving the renovation of our entire soul.
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[1] David Elton Trueblood, General Philosophy (New York: Harper & Row, 1963), p. 219.
