We are in a very dangerous time because no one is afraid to say ‘Praise be to the Lord’ anymore. This greeting has become common in various settings, including weddings, funerals, political rallies, family gatherings, and social gatherings. More than 30 years ago, if someone said ‘Praise be to the Lord’, people would be surprised or could be scorned and ostracized. So the person who used this greeting was willing to risk his life.
This problem is also present in our churches, where salvation is preached well. There is a greater increase in believers through physical birth (biological) than through spiritual birth (harvesting souls of people). This means that those who increase through salvation and then become believers are fewer than those who increase through birth to local parents. As a result, many believers who are not yet saved have had to participate in various ministries such as singing in the choir, leading praise and worship, etc. If we continue to preach the Gospel to those outside the church and forget those inside the church, we will reach a point where we are led by church elders who are not saved. In this sense, we have started a strategy to reach children with the Gospel as we preach to adults. We will not teach them Bible stories without helping them realize how much they need Jesus as the Lord and Savior of their lives. Children have more qualifications for salvation than adults, but they have been forgotten because we think the Gospel requires the mind of an adult. Remember, an adult cannot be saved until he has the characteristics of a small child. Matthew 18:3 “And he said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
But let us also not forget that a person can be led to a prayer of repentance and not be saved. The prayer of repentance is only a guide to help someone who already needs to be saved. If a person does not have that need, even if led to a prayer of repentance, they cannot be saved. Worse still, we have been forcing people to repent even if they are not ready. A person who brought his brother to a Gospel meeting to be prayed for may be surprised after the prayer to have his name written down that he is saved, or he may be surprised to be told to raise his hands and repeat the prayer he is led to, and then be declared that he is saved. Such subtle ministries have led to having many unsaved people in churches who are only members but not yet saved.
I myself am a victim of this. When I was a student in Same secondary school, a fellow student asked me to work with him in the library. He preached to me to be saved and invited me to help him manage the school library. Working with him on these tasks gave me the special privilege of not having to do other tasks like other students. The following year, a preacher visited us at school. When I listened to him, I realized that I was not genuinely saved, but I just pleased him so that I could work with him in the library. I was confident and walked forward without shame. I think that if the student who preached to me had been close to me, he would have stopped me because he thought I was saved. We have these kinds of people who need to know the signs of salvation well so that they do not comfort themselves when they are not yet saved.
Here are the basic signs of salvation according to the Bible (there are many more):
1. Receiving and believing the Gospel
You put your total trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus for forgiveness, rather than your good works or your worship in a particular denomination. No denomination can save anyone. Even in Heaven, there is no book of denominations but the book of life, which lists the names of people saved by Jesus.
The jailer, who wanted to commit suicide, thought that all prisoners had escaped, asked a good question, and was answered very well. When you are saved, you open the door for your brothers and friends to be saved too. Acts 16:30,31 “And he brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said to him, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Good works cannot save a person. If that were the case, the Lord Jesus would not have gone to the cross for us. He had to pay the debt before our sins could be forgiven. Our good works have meaning after we receive the forgiveness of our sins. Studying hard is meaningless if a student is not enrolled in school and has not paid his school fees. Galatians 2:16 “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh will be justified.” So if you serve God but are not yet saved, you need wisdom. Romans 10:2 “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” You are no different from a person who has not yet opened a bank account but asks the tellers to keep his money for him.
2. The Witness of the Spirit
This is the inner assurance from the Holy Spirit that you are a child of God. You receive a personal relationship with Jesus Christ! The Holy Spirit bears witness in your spirit that you are a child of God. Rom 8:15-16 “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
When you are saved, you are given the power to become a child of God. You cannot save yourself by doing good works. Jn 1:12,13 “But to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
3. A changed life (walking in the light)
Salvation is not being perfect but receiving a new beginning or a new direction in life. You are beginning a new journey of change, from Egypt to Canaan.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he has become a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.”
To be saved is to decide to walk in the light. 1 John 1:7-9 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” To be saved is to recognize that you have sinned and then confess and repent. You cannot practice sin and then confess it every time you come to church. When you sin and repent, you receive forgiveness and cleansing. That is why when you are saved, you have more time to pray, worship, and purify yourself than before you were saved.
You receive God's growing love, a great desire to obey God, and when you sin or make a mistake, even when no one has caught you, you feel guilty or convicted in your heart, and then you take action to repent and forsake that sin. You receive mercy if you CONFESS AND FORSAKE SIN, and not just confess it. Proverbs 28:13 “He who covers over his sins will not prosper; but he who confesses and forsakes them will find mercy.”
4. True Repentance
When a person is saved, he experiences a true repentance that gives him the forgiveness of sins. Satan no longer has the power to accuse him of not having repented properly and been forgiven.
Luke 3:3 “And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”
You receive a change in your heart that makes you turn away from sin and turn to Jesus. You begin to do works that are consistent with your repentance.
Acts 26:19,20 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, and to Jerusalem, and throughout all Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works that befit their repentance.”
Acts 3:19,20 “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you."
5. Loving Others
You feel a deep desire to serve others, to love your fellow believers, and to proclaim God’s love to others. You don’t do good deeds to be seen by others.
Phil 2:12 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
When you are saved, you not only give people the Gospel, but you also give them your own soul. You receive love for your spiritual children as a mother loves her own child. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 “So, having great affection for you, we were pleased to share with you not only the Gospel of God but also our own souls, because you became dear to us.” Galatians 4:19 “My little children, for whom I am in pain again until Christ is formed in you.”
When you are saved, you cannot keep quiet, but you will tell others about the beauty of Jesus. Jeremiah 20:9 “If I say, ‘I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name,’ then in my heart it is like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am weary with forbearance, and I cannot refrain.” You will want others to taste the goodness of God. Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in him.”
CONCLUSION
However, your assurance of salvation is based on the HOLY SCRIPTURES and not your FEELINGS since the foundation of your faith is in the work of Christ on the cross and not your strength or your efforts. Salvation is a gift of grace received by faith alone.
If this word burns your heart and you feel that you are not yet saved, take action like the listeners of Peter's sermon took. They did not wait to be asked if they wanted to be saved. Acts 2:37 “When they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
Call me so I can guide you on how to be registered in the government of God. God loves you very much, and you have not come across this message by accident, but it is God's perfect plan for you.
NAJUAJE KWAMBA NIMEOKOKA?
Tuko katika kipindi cha hatari sana kwa vile hakuna mtu anaogopa tena kusema ‘Bwana asifiwe’. Salamu hii imekuwa ni msamiati wa kawaida kwenye majukwaa mbalimbali kv harusi, misiba, mikutano ya kisiasa, vikao vya kifamilia na mikutano ya kijamii. Miaka zaidi ya 30 iliyopita mtu akisema Bwana asifiwe, watu walimshangaa au kumbeza na kumtenga. Hivyo aliyetumia salamu hiyo alikuwa tayari kuhatarisha maisha yake.
Tatizo hili liko pia ndani ya makanisa yetu ambayo wokovu unahubiriwa vizuri. Kuna ongezeko kubwa la waumini kwa kuzaliwa kimwili (kibaolojia) kuliko kwa kuzaliwa kiroho (kuvuna roho za watu). Maana yake ni kwamba wanaoongezeka kwa kuokoka ndipo wawe waumini ni wachache kuliko wanaoongezeka kwa kuzaliwa na wazazi wenyeji. Matokeo yake imebidi waumini wengi ambao bado hawajaokoka waingie katika huduma mbalimbali kama vile kuimba kwaya, kuongoza sifa nk. Kama tutaendelea kuhubiri Injili kwa walio nje ya kanisa peke yake na kusahau ndani ya makanisa, tutafika hatua ya kuongozwa na wazee wa kanisa ambao hawajokoka. Kwa mantiki hii, tumeanza mkakati wa kufikia watoto kwa Injili kama tunavyowahubiri watu wazima. Hatutawafundisha hadithi za Biblia bila kuwasaidia kutambua kiasi gani wanamuhitaji Yesu kama Bwana na Mwokozi wa maisha yao. Watoto wana sifa za kuokoka kuliko watu wazima lakini wamesahaulika kwa vile tunadhani Injili inahitaji akili ya mtu mzima. Kumbuka mtu mzima hawezi kuokoka mpaka awe na tabia za mtoto mdogo. Mathayo 18:3 “akasema, Amin, nawaambia, Msipoongoka na kuwa kama vitoto, hamtaingia kamwe katika ufalme wa mbinguni.”
Lakini pia tusisahau kwamba mtu anaweza kuongozwa sala ya toba na awe hajaokoka. Sala ya toba ni mwongozo tu wa kumsaidia mtu ambaye tayari ana hitaji la kuokoka. Kama mtu hana hitaji hilo hata akiongozwa sala ya toba hawezi kuokoka. Kibaya zaidi tumekuwa tukiwalazimisha watu watubu hata kama hawako tayari. Mtu aliyemleta ndugu yake kwenye mkutano wa Injili ili aombewe, anaweza kushangaa baada ya maombi anaandikwa jina kwamba ameokoka au anaweza kushangaa anaambiwa ainue mikono na kurudia sala anayoongozwa na kisha anatangaziwa kwamba ameokoka. Huduma za hila namna hii ndizo zimetufanya tufikie hatua ya kuwa na watu wengi ambao hawajaokoka makanisani lakini wanashindwa kukiri kwamba ni washirika tu lakini bado hawajaokoka.
Mimi mwenyewe ni mhanga wa jambo hili. Nikiwa mwanafunzi Same sekondari, mwanafunzi aliyenitangulia darasa alipenda nifanye naye kazi za maktaba. Akanihubiri niokoke na kuniahidi kushirikiana naye kusimamia maktaba ya shule. Kufanya naye kazi hizo kulinipa upendeleo maalum wa kutofanya kazi zingine kama wanafunzi wengine. Mwaka uliofuata tulitembelewa na mhubiri shuleni. Nilipomsikiliza nikagundua kwamba sijaokoka bali nilimuokokea yule ndugu ili niwe naye kwenye maktaba. Nilipita mbele bila aibu na bila kuangalia nani ananitazama. Nadhani yule mwanafunzi aliyenihubiri mwanzoni angekuwa karibu na mimi pengine angenizuia akidhani nimeokoka. Tuna watu kama mimi nilivyokuwa ambao wanahitaji kujua vizuri ishara za kuokoka ili wasije wakajifariji na kumbe bado hawajaokoka.
Ishara za msingi za wokovu kulingana na Biblia ni pamoja na hizi (zipo nyingi zaidi ya hizi):
1. Kupokea na kuamini Injili
Unakuwa umeweka tumaini lako katika kifo na ufufuo wa Yesu kwa ajili ya msamaha, badala ya matendo yako mazuri au kuabudu kwako katika dhehebu fulani. Hakuna dhehebu linaloweza kumuokoa mtu yeyote. Hata Mbinguni hakuna kitabu cha madhehebu bali kitabu cha uzima ambacho kina orodha ya majina ya watu waliookolewa na Yesu.
Mlinzi wa gereza aliyetaka kujiua kwa kudhani amekimbiwa na wafungwa aliuliza swali zuri na kujibiwa vizuri sana. Unapookoka unafungua mlango wa ndugu zako na rafiki zako kuokolewa pia. Mdo 16:30,31 “kisha akawaleta nje akasema, Bwana zangu, yanipasa nifanye nini nipate kuokoka? Wakamwambia, Mwamini Bwana Yesu, nawe utaokoka pamoja na nyumba yako.”
Matendo mema hayawezi kumuokoa mtu. Kama ingekuwa hivyo Bwana Yesu hangeenda msalabani kwa ajili yetu. Ilikuwa lazima tulipiwe deni ndipo tusamehewe dhambi zetu. Matendo yetu mema yana maana baada ya kupokea msamaha wa dhambi zetu. Kusoma kwa bidii hakuna maana kama mwanafunzi hajasajiliwa shuleni na kulipiwa ada za shule.
Wagalatia 2:16 “hali tukijua ya kuwa mwanadamu hahesabiwi haki kwa matendo ya sheria, bali kwa imani ya Kristo Yesu; sisi tulimwamini Kristo Yesu ili tuhesabiwe haki kwa imani ya Kristo, wala si kwa matendo ya sheria; maana kwa matendo ya sheria hakuna mwenye mwili atakayehesabiwa haki.” Kwa hiyo kama unamtumikia Mungu lakini bado hujaokoka, unahitaji busara. Warumi 10:2 “Kwa maana nawashuhudia kwamba wana juhudi kwa ajili ya Mungu, lakini si katika maarifa.” Huna tofauti na mtu ambaye bado hajafungua akaunti benki lakini anaenda kuwapatia wahudumu wa benki pesa zake ili wamhifadhie.
2. Ushuhuda wa Roho
Huu ni uhakika wa ndani unaotoka kwa Roho Mtakatifu kwamba u mtoto wa Mungu. Unapokea uhusiano wa kibinafsi na Yesu Kristo! Roho Mtakatifu anashuhudia ndani ya roho yako kwamba u mtoto wa Mungu. Rum 8:15-16 “Kwa kuwa hamkupokea tena roho wa utumwa iletayo hofu; bali mlipokea roho ya kufanywa wana, ambayo kwa hiyo twalia, Aba, yaani, Baba. Roho mwenyewe hushuhudia pamoja na roho zetu, ya kuwa sisi tu watoto wa Mungu.”
Unapookoka unapewa uwezo wa kufanyika mtoto wa Mungu. Huwezi kujiokoa mwenyewe kwa kutenda matendo mema. Yn 1:12,13 “Bali wote waliompokea aliwapa uwezo wa kufanyika watoto wa Mungu, ndio wale waliaminio jina lake; waliozaliwa, si kwa damu, wala si kwa mapenzi ya mwili, wala si kwa mapenzi ya mtu, bali kwa Mungu.”
3. Maisha yaliyobadilika (kutembea katika nuru)
Kuokoka sio kuwa mkamilifu bali ni kupokea mwanzo mpya au mwelekeo mpya wa maisha. Unaanza safari mpya ya mabadiliko yaani kutoka Misri kuelekea Kanani.
2 Wakorintho 5:17 “Hata imekuwa, mtu akiwa ndani ya Kristo amekuwa kiumbe kipya; ya kale yamepita tazama! Yamekuwa mapya.”
Kuokoka ni kuamua kutembea katika nuru. 1 Yoh 1:7-9 “bali tukienenda nuruni, kama yeye alivyo katika nuru, twashirikiana sisi kwa sisi, na damu yake Yesu, Mwana wake, yatusafisha dhambi yote. Tukisema kwamba hatuna dhambi, twajidanganya wenyewe, wala kweli haimo mwetu. Tukiziungama dhambi zetu, Yeye ni mwaminifu na wa haki hata atuondolee dhambi zetu, na kutusafisha na udhalimu wote.” Kuokoka ni kutambua kwamba umetenda dhambi na kisha kuungama na kutubu. Huwezi kuzoea dhambi na kisha kuziungama kila ukija ibada. Unapokosea na kutubu unapokea msamaha na utakaso. Ndiyo maana ukiokoka unakuwa na muda mwingi zaidi wa kuomba, kuabudu na kujitakasa kuliko kabla hujaokoka.
Unapokea upendo wa Mungu unaokua, shauku kubwa ya kumtii Mungu, na unapokosea au kutenda dhambi hata kama hakuna mtu aliyekufumania, unajisikia hatia au kuhukumiwa moyoni (conviction) na kisha unachukua hatua ya kutubu na kuacha dhambi hiyo. Unapokea rehema kama UMEUNGAMA NA KUACHA DHAMBI na sio kuungama peke yake. Mithali 28:13 “Afichaye dhambi zake hatafanikiwa; Bali yeye aziungamaye na kuziacha atapata rehema.”
4. Toba ya kweli
Mtu akiokoka anatubu toba ya kweli ambayo inampa ondoleo la dhambi. Shetani hapati nguvu tena ya kumletea mashitaka kwamba bado hajatubu vizuri na kusamehewa.
Luka 3:3 “Akafika nchi yote iliyo karibu na Yordani, akihubiri ubatizo wa toba liletalo ondoleo la dhambi.”
Unapokea badiliko katika moyo wako ambalo linakufanya ugeuke mbali na dhambi na kumgeukia Yesu. Unaanza kutenda matendo yanayoendana na toba yako.
Mdo 26:19,20 “Kwa hiyo, Ee Mfalme Agripa, sikuyaasi yale maono ya mbinguni, bali kwanza niliwahubiri wale wa Dameski na Yerusalemu, na katika nchi yote ya Uyahudi, na watu wa Mataifa, kwamba watubu na kumwelekea Mungu, wakiyatenda matendo yanayopatana na kutubu kwao.”
Mdo 3:19,20 “Tubuni basi, mrejee, ili dhambi zenu zifutwe, zipate kuja nyakati za kuburudishwa kwa kuwako kwake Bwana; apate kumtuma Kristo Yesu mliyewekewa tangu zamani.” (Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:)
5. Kupenda wengine
Unajisikia moyoni kupenda kuwatumikia wengine, kuwapenda waumini wenzako na kutangaza upendo wa Mungu kwa wengine. Hutendi mema ili utazamwe na watu.
Fil 2:12 “Basi, wapendwa wangu, kama vile mlivyotii sikuzote, si wakati mimi nilipokuwapo tu, bali sasa zaidi sana mimi nisipokuwapo, utimizeni wokovu wenu wenyewe kwa kuogopa na kutetemeka.”
Unapookoka huwapi watu Injili peke yake bali unawapa pia roho yako. Unapokea upendo kwa ajili ya watoto wako wa kiroho kama mama anavyompenda mtoto wake aliyemzaa. 1 Wathesalonike 2:8 “Vivyo hivyo nasi tukiwatumaini kwa upendo mwingi, tuliona furaha kuwapa, si Injili ya Mungu tu, bali na roho zetu pia, kwa sababu mmekuwa wapendwa wetu.” Wagalatia 4:19 “Vitoto vyangu, ambao kwamba nawaonea utungu tena mpaka Kristo aumbike ndani yenu.”
Unapookoka huwezi kunyamaza usiwaambie wengine uzuri wa Yesu. Yeremia 20:9 “Nami nikisema, Sitamtaja, wala sitasema tena kwa jina lake; basi, ndipo moyoni mwangu kumekuwamo kama moto uwakao, uliofungwa ndani ya mifupa yangu, nami nimechoka kwa kustahimili, wala siwezi kujizuia.” Utapenda wengine waonje wema wa Mungu. Zaburi 34:8 “Onjeni mwone ya kuwa Bwana yu mwema; Heri mtu yule anayemtumaini.”
HITIMISHO
Hata hivyo, uhakika wako wa wokovu unatokana na MAANDIKO MATAKATIFU na sio HISIA zako kwa vile msingi wa imani yako ni katika kazi ya Kristo msalabani na sio nguvu zako wala juhudi zako. Wokovu ni zawadi ya neema inayopokelewa kwa imani tu.
Kama neno hili linakuchoma moyo wako na kujihisi kwamba bado hujaokoka, chukua hatua kama ile waliyochukua wasikiliza wa mahubiri ya Petro. Hawakusubiri kuulizwa kama wanataka kuokoka. Mdo 2:37 “Walipoyasikia haya wakachomwa mioyo yao, wakamwambia Petro na mitume wengine, Tutendeje, ndugu zetu?”
Wasiliana nami ili nikupe mwongozo wa namna ya kusajiliwa katika serikali ya Mungu. Mungu anakupenda sana na hujakutana na ujumbe huu kwa bahati bali ni mpango kamili wa Mungu kwa ajili yako.
Dr. Lawi Mshana, +255 712-924234, Tanzania
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