are you saved?
"If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." —Romans 10:9<br>"Faith in the heart leads to justification, confession on the lips to salvation." —Romans 10:10<br>"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." —Romans 10:13
Are you saved? The Biblical answer for a Christian to that question is: "I have been saved by Christ's death and resurrection." "When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us" (Ti 3:4-5). "He saved us; not because of any righteous deeds we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the baptism of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit" (Ti 3:5). Moreover, we not only have been saved but are being saved by the gospel at this very moment, if we hold fast to it (1 Cor 15:2). Finally, we will be saved, if we persevere in living our Baptisms (see Rm 10:9, 13).
If we have been, are being, and will be saved, we will be motivated by love (see 2 Cor 5:14) to lead others to salvation in Jesus. However, we may be bewildered about sharing our faith. St. Andrew may be the perfect person to help us. For example, when some Greeks came to Philip and asked to see Jesus, Philip, for some reason, did not go to Jesus but to Andrew (Jn 12:21-22). Then Philip, with Andrew, "came to inform Jesus" (Jn 12:22).
Accept Jesus as the Savior, Lord, and God. Ask Andrew to help you lead others to salvation in Jesus. Then go, be fishers of men (Mt 4:19), and make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19).
Prayer: Father, beginning this Advent make my voice sound "over the whole earth" and my "words to the limits of the world" (Rm 10:18). St. Andrew, pray for us.
Promise: "Scripture says, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who announce good news!' " —Rm 10:15
Praise: "The first thing (Andrew) did was seek out his brother Simon and tell him, 'We have found the Messiah!" (Jn 1:41)
Rescript: ..
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, April 4, 1998
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 8, 1998