As Iron Sharpens Iron,
So One Man Sharpens Another
Proverbs 27:17
Spring 1997
Have you ever heard or asked the question, "What must I do to be saved? Some may ask, "saved from what?" The Bible teaches in the third chapter of Romans, that there is none righteous, not even one and that all have sinned and fall short of God's glory.
The Apostle Paul goes on to explain in Romans 6:23, that the wages of sin is death (spiritual death), but the FREE GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
So, what does the Bible teach about how to be saved and how to know you are saved without a doubt? First, we already know we need a savior. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and thelife. NO one comes to the Father (God) but through me. John 14:6
God has provided only ONE way and that's through His Son, Jesus. Jesus is the free gift from God. We cannot earn our way to heaven. In Ephesians 2:8-9 , we are taught that we are saved by grace through faith, and not of ourselves. It is a gift of God not a result of works so that none of us can boast. Jesus said in Revelations 3:20 , that he stands at the door and knocks. If anyone hears His voice, He will come in to Him and dine with Him and He with them. Also, John 1:12 reads, but as many as received Him (Jesus), to them He gave the right to become children of God, even those who believe in His name. One only needs to pray and ask Christ to forgive themof their sins and receive His as Savior. The gift (Jesus) will only benefit the one who will receive and accept it.
"He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:12-13
Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13
This is how to know if you have eternal life. God's promise from His word, if you have Jesus and have called upon Him for salvation, through faith, then you will be saved.
I am sure that some of you that have attended an Iron Sharpens Iron meeting and, looking around the room (as we cops tend to do), have noticed people who you know, based on past conflicts, should not be in the same room together. You know from their history that these people just don't get along with each other. Yet here they are, not only in the same room, but sharing a table and some conversation, and it's real fellowship!
What can happen in the lives of two people that would break down walls of hate, or mistrust?
In the 55th Chapter of Psalms David laments how he was deeply wounded by a friend, a friend that he had previously had a close fellowship with. Just as David learned, and you have probably learned too, that to depend solely on human fellowship to meet your needs equals disappointment.
What then is the answer to these two questions? How do we meet the real life need that we have for fellowship? How is it possible that people who used to hate and distrust each other can now have true fellowship with one another? The answers are found in the Bible and involve simply making your first fellowship with the God of the universe, through a personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. For if we have fellowship with Jesus Christ, if Jesus is our personal Savior, if He is in our hearts, and the ruler of our life then He is the facilitator of our fellowship with one another. What you have seen and experienced at the Iron Sharpens Iron meetings is a manifestation of the work of Jesus Christ in the lives of fellow officers.
Jesus is real. Jesus is personal. Jesus is alive, and working in the hearts of many of your fellow officers!
It is our prayer that you too will know that Jesus is alive, and willing to enter into an eternal fellowship with you... all you need to do is open the door to your heart and ask Him in.
At our last Iron Sharpens Iron meeting Chaplain Dean Mayeda shared a great message on taking our lives and moving ahead. We looked at the life of Joshua as he was given the task of leading the Israelites into the land God had promised them (Joshua 1:1-16).
Most of us have things we would like to accomplish, or have a vision of where God is leading us. What exactly
do we need to do to move ahead from where we are now and into our "promised land?" Dean gave us five
keys to possessing the promised land.
1) Salvage the past! We need to look to the past for learning, but also let go of the past.
2) Set up a plan! Don't go charging into battle without a plan. Get your supplies ready.
3) Stay in God's Word! Seek God's direction by reading your Bible every day. Talk about God's Word. Think about
God's Word. Do what God's Word says.
4) Support one another! Be a team player in the spiritual battle.
5) Step out in faith! Be strong and courageous. Do what you fear, the Lord will do amazing things among you.
This page was last updated 01 January 2001
A new millennium, yes. A new Jesus, no. For Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.