If I keep messing up, am I really saved?

Are you familiar with those challenges during a basketball game where if you make a shot from mid-court you’ll win a car, $100,000 or something like that?

Now imagine that instead of being awarded if you make the shot, that you die if you miss it.

Missing the mark is exactly what sin is, and killing us is exactly what sin does.

“the wages of sin is death” — Romans 6:23

It is important to understand that death is primarily a result of sin, not a punishment.

God’s desire is for us to live, not to die and He created us for this very purpose.

God is not lurking around every corner waiting for us to mess up so that He can punish us. We see in Christ that this is contrary to God’s very nature because Jesus, who is the Christ, proclaims, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” — John 10:10

Death is a natural outcome of sin because sin is missing the mark and the mark is God. It’s like a branch being separated from the vine, or if our planet were no longer in view of the sun -eventually, all processes of life would cease and everything would die.

Life is abiding in God.
Death is separation from God.

But God, desiring that we live and not die, sent His only begotten Son, Jesus. “His only begotten Son” means Jesus is the only direct and unmediated expression of God. He was sent so that the offense would be removed and the mark would be met, connecting us with God.

“In these last days [God has] spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person”
— Hebrews 1:1-3

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”
— John 3:16

Just as a man, Adam, missed the mark (sinned) and plunged everything in his dominion into death, the man Jesus made the mark (abides), tipped (more like flipped) the scales in our favor satisfying the debt of sin through His death, removed the offense (stumbling blocks – “lies block love”) by declaring the truth, and came as a King establishing the Kingdom of God that is taking by force everything that was sold under sin (redemption) -establishing an everlasting kingdom that we receive when we believe and that grants us access to God, resulting in everlasting life. This kingdom, with Christ as King, is advancing until everything that opposes Him is put under His feet to the end that Christ will present the subdued creation to the Father that everything will forever bask in God’s life-giving presence to His ever increasing glory.

“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”
— Romans 5:19

“Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. … Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:24

“They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.

And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.”
— Isaiah 11:9-10

Jesus makes the mark so that we can be with God.

Not only that, He’s made it so that we can also make the mark without fear of failure, completely destroying the threat of death through His resurrection.

“But [our salvation] has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”
— 2 Timothy 1:10

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit”
— Romans 8:1

To return to our basketball analogy, what Jesus has done for us is removed any risk of failure because He’s made the shot in our stead. In doing so, He’s removed all fear. Now we can just focus on becoming as great as He is.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
— 1 John 4:18

“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.”
— 1 John 4:17

So, to the original question, “If I keep messing up, am I really saved?”

Messing up -sin, is not necessarily an indication that there’s a question about my salvation.

We mess up because there’s stumbling blocks in our lives (pre-existing and those that are continually being put in our way) which are lies that block God’s love.

Everyone has sin (1 John 1:8) -the saved and lost alike.

However, God gives the saved capacity through the manifold grace of His Word, the revelation of Jesus Christ, His Holy Spirit and His church, to discern these cancerous areas of rebellion in our lives, to confess them and to be healed of them. These are the weapons of our warfare to advance the Kingdom of God, starting in our own hearts.

Conviction, the very awareness of “messing up”, is a good indication of my salvation!

The key distinction of someone who is truly saved, returning again to our basketball analogy, is that they want to make the shot.

Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, is known for his exceptional scoring ability. He is also widely known for the sheer number of shots that he has missed. But despite missing over 9000 shots in his career, what we can be sure of is that he took each shot wanting to make every single one because he has a heart of a champion that wants to win.

Those who are born of God, as a new creature, have a new heart that desires excellence because He is excellent.

So, though we may mess up and miss the mark at times, those who are saved aren’t frivolous about it.

We don’t carelessly throw up the ball. We don’t foolishly throw it into the stands.

We want to make the shot.

But if Jesus already made the shot, why would I even bother shooting at all?

Because, making the shot -living as Christ lived, abiding in God’s love and being governed by it, brings God glory, and like Jesus, there’s nothing that authentic children of God want more.

Every time we take to the court, we want to contribute, increasing the glory of His already glorious victory. And when we have a bad game, we submit to the necessary practice and gym time to work out our bad form.

The aim is development, to be more and more perfectly aligned to Christ so that His life: His purposes, His power and His production shines through.

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
— Romans 8:11

This is a work that God does in us, that when we submit to it, we can’t miss.

“for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
— Philippians 2:13

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.”
— 2 Corinthians 2:14

So, the test of my salvation isn’t whether I mess up, it’s whether I want to make the shot.

Because of His life in me, I want to.

And because He makes it possible, I can

without fear.

Thank you, Jesus.