Did Jesus die for a free ticket to heaven? Is that why He died? Is that the only reason? In my opinion, “NO.”
The bible says, we go from glory to glory and faith to faith. These describe a maturation process. The word salvation means “to make whole.” In 1 Thess. 5:23, Paul says, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” During the course of salvation we are sanctified. In this process of sanctification, we grow in our wholeness in Him. We become more whole and complete. At salvation our spirit is immediately made whole and quickened by grace through the Holy Spirit. The revelation of this quickening affects the soul or person of an individual. In turn, the quickening affects the body. Healing, deliverance, radical change in personality/lifestyle, redemption, and numerous other things occur because of the death of His cross for us.
Romans 5:17 says,
“For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)”
Paul calls Christ the Last Adam. Christ says He is the First and the Last.
So, salvation is not just a ticket, but an adventure of growing whole in Him more so everyday. We are saved over and over and over again unto fullness in Him.
2 Corinthians 4:16 says,
“Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”
Also, creation longs for the revealing of the sons of God. It longs for redemption.
Romans 8:19,
“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”
So, He died to REDEEM ALL CREATION. ALL CREATION. Not just earth. Every planet, star, galaxy, universe, and molecule everywhere. That every knee should bow and declare Him LORD of LORDS and KING of all KINGS!
Ephesians 1:10,
“that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth–in Him.”
A brother in Christ told me once, “I would serve Jesus even if I were going to hell.” When he told me that my thought was, “Huh? I don’t get it.” That is the point. We serve Christ because we have an exceedingly strong desire to do so not because of a free ticket to heaven. The bible speaks of inheritance. The bible also speaks of those escaping by the skin of their teeth or as one who escapes the flames. Not much inheritance there, but that is not the reason to serve Him either. Service unto Him is because of who He is. That is more than enough reason. Even the reason to serve Him is not of ourselves, but it is the faith of Him in us to serve Him, Gal. 2:20.
There is a contrast between preaching Christ and the ministry of the Word. Both are seen in the book of Acts. The free, gracious, heavenly ticket is preaching Christ and the need for Him to save you from hell and really you. Note, hell is a place prepared for the enemy not man, Matt. 25:41. The ministry of the Word is infusing the Word of Christ into the believer into discipleship.
The root word, “manthano“, for disciple means the following:
- to learn, be apprised
- to increase one’s knowledge, to be increased in knowledge
- to hear, be informed
- to learn by use and practice
- to be in the habit of, accustomed to
In my opinion, discipleship is part of salvation. It is not a robotic, religious, churchy, unfulfilled experience, but so much more the opposite. I see people being disciples of a lot of things. Usually, it is that which is most important to their heart.
Proverbs 14:12 (NIV),
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”
Proverbs 19:21 (NIV),
” Many are the plans in a man‘s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
Psalms 37:4 (NIV),
“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Salvation is more than a ticket to heaven.
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