Salvation Isn't Jesus Plus ...! ...

We cannot add anything to God's grace in our salvation:  it's not Jesus plus keeping the Law, or Jesus plus doing good works, or Jesus plus tithing, or Jesus plus going to church, or Jesus plus being a success.  Jesus isn't just necessary but also sufficient!  There is never anything we can add to God's grace, improve upon it, earn it, pay it back,  deserve it, or lose it once we have it.  We must come to the realization that Jesus is enough for us and seek our treasures in heaven.  When we realize that, we've laid possession of Jesus in our hearts, not just our minds.  We don't want Him as an idea, but as a Person.

John warned us not to love the world, for if we do we lose a taste or desire for heavenly things. I's simple math that the more room we have in our hearts for the things of the world, the less room for Jesus and the spiritual delights of knowing Him.   We ought to store up our treasures in heaven and be able to possess our possessions or manage our blessings or wealth. This means they cannot control us or become idols that can rob us of God's blessing.  For where our treasure is, there our heart will be also.

Those who trust in wealth are never satisfied and always seeking just a little more.  True philanthropy is rare among the rich and powerful.  They usually are seeking the applause of men because of the insecurities of their final destiny.  We are not to live for today and be just be consumers either like the Epicureans who said, "Eat, drink, and be merry [for tomorrow we die!]."  Or today, as they say, "Grab all the gusto you can, for you only go around once."  One key way to see how much we love our wealth is how tightly we hold unto it and we refuse to render to God that which is God's.  We are only robbing ourselves because the riches of the kingdom of God are greater than the world can offer. "Freely you have received, freely give" (cf. Matt. 10:18).

Some people may wonder who can be saved if it's difficult for rich people to enter the kingdom of God. With God all things are possible though and He can transform the hardest and most stubborn of hearts.  We must realize that Christ offers the road of sacrifice not very popular with the world's mindset.   For instance, the world sees money, power or influence, and morality or good works as a sure ticket to heaven or pass out of hell.  They may compare themselves with others and feel superior but they may inwardly wonder how much is enough and are never quite sure of their salvation as the rich young ruler needed to ask Christ what he must DO.

But people are addicted to doing something for their salvation and have a works mindset.  If we had to swim a mile, we'd all be at the beaches.  Believe me, if we had to do anything or if there was just one rule to keep, we'd blow it!  It's no use giving us rules to keep; we cannot keep them--look at Adam and Eve.   But God sees the heart and motive behind every deed and says that they all amount to trash in His sight and do not qualify as good works.  All our righteousness is the gift of God and our gift to Him (cf. Isaiah 45:24).

People are good works-driven, even karma-oriented, and play the "let's compare" game, even commending themselves among themselves (cf. 2 Cor. 10:12) when they see someone worse off than them.  We must understand that salvation is free but not cheap; it costs everything we have, meaning full surrender to God's economy. We must be warned that Christ cautioned us to "count the cost."  That doesn't mean that there's a special blessing in poverty per se nor in poverty vows, nor in a martyrdom complex, thinking that the more we give to God or the more we suffer, the holier we are.  We will indeed be blessed for every sacrifice but salvation isn't by asceticism either.  God wants to bless us in this life too but that blessing isn't necessarily in materialism. God blesses our endeavors as we do His will!   In sum, we must embrace the theology that Jesus is enough for us and He will supply all our legitimate needs for His will.  Soli Deo Gloria!