Several weeks ago I found out that one of my favorite shows as a teenager had made it to Netflix. When I found out that Quantum Leap was available through Netflix I decided to expose my boys to this great show. Cooper didn't take to it, but Dru asks regularly for us to watch it together. I'm glad I'm able to share with him this piece of my past.
The premise of the show is that the main character, Sam, travels through time "leaping" from one point in time to another and all within his own lifetime. When Sam leaps his mind inhabits the body of the person he leaps into and that person's mind leaps into Sam's body in the future. After the first couple of episodes you find out that God is the one directing Sam's leaps in an effort to, as the show says, "put right what once went wrong." Sam rescues people from death, changes the course of people's lives, and even helps bring justice where injustice originally prevailed. It is a noble thought and it is interesting to see how Sam is able to change the future by helping to adjust the past.
As I started watching shows I had not watched in over 20 years, a certain aspect of the show caused me to rethink my view of the show. Yes, I still enjoy the show, but the idea that God needed Sam to "put right what once went wrong" really stood out to me. This idea that things in the past needed to be changed is more deeply theological than we would originally think. We all have parts of our past that we would like to change if we were able to "leap" into the past or jump in a Delorean with Marty McFly. But what we need to ask ourselves is could we change things?
There is a theological term called sovereignty. When it is used in reference to God, we refer to God as being sovereign, exercising supreme control over everything. This means there is not one aspect of existence where God is not in control. (Yes, God does give us freewill to choose to follow Him or not, but that is a deeper discussion for another day.) What that means for us is two things. First off, there is nothing to be put right that once went wrong. According to God's sovereign will, things went right the first time. Secondly, we can rest assured that God is in control, even when we think things are falling apart. There is a certain level of peace that comes with this second aspect of God's sovereignty. The peace comes from the fact we have a good and loving God in control of all we experience in this life. Yes, sometimes we struggle to see the good in the more difficult situations God allows into our lives. But we have to remember that God isn't "doing" anything to us, but He does allow things to occur in our life. Sometimes it is to draw us closer to Him. Other times it is to strengthen our faith in Him. Sometimes it is to get our attention. And yet other times it is to bring glory to Him. Regardless of what we face, we can rest easy knowing that God is sovereign and in control.
I'll close with this, even though we'd all like to "leap" back and change the things in our life that we think went wrong, we need to remember that those events made us who we are today. From birth to death we are a work in progress. As God works to mold us into what He wants us to be, we have to trust in His sovereign control over our lives and the situations He allows into them.
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Recently my sons and I were doing our morning devotions through the book of Revelation. They wanted to do a chapter each day and I obliged them. As we worked our way through, I shared with them how things progressively get worse and worse for those on earth during the end times. We talked about famines, pestilence, war, and supernatural events that brought suffering and pain to those still on the earth.
Keep in mind that I have read through Revelation several times and I've taught through the entire book a couple of times. Yet verse 20 in chapter 16 really caught my attention like I was reading it for the first time. It says in Revelation 16:18, "Then there came...a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake." John makes an unbelievable observation following the cataclysmic earthquake in verse 20. It says, "Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found." Let that thought soak in for a second. Not a single mountain on earth -- Everest, K-2, McKinley, Mitchell, Grandfather -- could be found. They were completely leveled by this unimaginable earthquake.
I'm not much of a beach guy, but I do enjoy my hikes and visits to the mountains. I guess that is why the last part of this verse caught my attention. Those mountains that I have spent hours hiking with my boys will one day be gone. Razed. Leveled. Gone. But why would God do such a thing to His creation and do it to the thing He said in Genesis 1:10 was "good." The answer is simple and can be summed up in just one word. Judgment.
The reason God would shake the earth like a 3 year old shaking a snow globe is all based in His love and judgment. I know it's crazy to think that anything so catastrophic could be based in love but it is. God's judgments described in Revelation are a result of mankind's disobedience and rejection of God. When man rejects God and His salvation from their sins, they continue to sin and be an enemy of God (Colossians 1:21). Disobedience to God's law is like disobedience to any law or rule. The result is judgment and punishment. When God finally ends the opportunities for mankind to receive His salvation from their sins, then comes His judgment and punishment. One of those punishments is a teeth-chattering, bone-jarring earthquake that levels every mountain on earth.
The good thing is God tells us we don't have to be here to watch the mountains be turned into mole hills. God tells us in His Word that we can have forgiveness of our sins and receive eternal life. All we have to do is admit to Him we've broken His laws and disobeyed Him, believe that Jesus is His Son who died on the cross to offer you forgiveness for your sins, and ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and be Lord of your life. It's that simple. All it takes is faith in Jesus being who He says He is and belief that He did what the Bible tells us He did.
If you want to miss the shake up at the end of time and more importantly, a life without God's direction and grace, then I'd encourage you to put your faith in Christ. His love knows no bounds and His forgiveness covers every sin imaginable. It is definitely a decision you won't regret!
If you want to learn more about putting your faith in Christ check out this link. My hope for you is that you'll put your faith in Christ while you still have the opportunity to do so. When this life is over there are no second chances. If you need to talk to someone about salvation, then feel free to email me at pastornick@northcatawbabaptist.com.
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Recently I had to enter our pasture with my truck. I drove to the edge of the barn and opened the gate which consists of two strands of electrified barbed wire fencing. I carried them back out of the way like I have many times before and laid them on the ground and went into the pasture. When I was leaving I went to close the gate and found that the two strands of electrified barbed wire were now entangled. After some nifty moves that resembled a Crossfit participant using the heavy ropes, I was able to untangle the wires and close the gate. I stood there for a moment in the midst of this frustrating event and marveled at something I had witnessed more times than I could count. A barbed wire fence, even after years of being pulled tight and strung between posts, when released from the posts will still coil up like a Slinky or a spring. Often times when that happens it is with disastrous effects. You have to spend valuable time unwinding and untangling a convoluted mess that usually leaves you bleeding and looking like you've been in a fight.
The spiritual reality of what I witnessed with that fence seemed to speak loudly to me that day. A Christian can spend many years of spiritual sobriety drawing close to God. They can serve Him faithfully in the church or on the mission field. They can lead their family to faith and help their faith grow. All the while being a tightly pulled barbed wire fence between the fence posts of faith. But remember when something happens to the post and the wire is released, it coils up into a terrifying bundle of pain, agony, and lost time. When a believer allows temptation to unhook their spiritual fence from the post, they will find themselves in a convoluted mess of hurt and pain as sin coils them up like a broken Slinky.
Now don't think this only happens to those who backslide from the faith and walk away from God. It does, but the hurt and pain sin causes occurs even with the slightest of transgressions against God's commands. Although we often times try to sweep those minor infractions under the rug, they eventually become a mound that causes us to trip. The catch is that even minor sins cause a distance between us and God. This is why it is so important that we keep our spiritual life drawn tight between the posts of faith. When we keep our fence tight and stay close to God, temptation has less of an affect on our life. Not that we won't ever fall to temptation again, but the closer we are to God, then the more we see Satan's temptations for what they really are. Lies, deceit, and pain.
Take it from one who has had to unwind and untangle both his physical barbed wire and spiritual barbed wire. It is much easier to keep your barbed wire tight than it is to untangle the mess because you allowed slack in your wire.
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One of my all-time favorite quotes goes like this: "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian anymore than going to McDonald's makes you a cheeseburger." It's humorous and gets across one of the truths about being a Christian. Another similar quote goes like this: "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car." The truth that is shared by these quotes is that church attendance does not guarantee you are a Christian. All church attendance implies is...you attended church. It doesn't guarantee that you even paid attention to the songs or the sermon. It doesn't mean you encountered God in a way that brought transformation into your life by His grace. It doesn't mean your sins are forgiven because you've been washed by the blood of the Lamb. All church attendance implies is...you attended church.
This quote about cheeseburgers and church came to mind when I recently performed a funeral for a person where the family was unsure of the deceased person's spiritual condition. Comments made by the deceased have not given much hope that they had a relationship with Christ. The Gospel or "Good News" of Jesus Christ had been repeatedly shared with this person in the hopes they would put their faith in Christ (click here to read how you can put your faith in Christ). The family is uncertain if their loved one ever followed the words of Romans 10:10 (NIV) where it says, "it is with your heart that you believe and are justified..." Their loved one may have believed after they were unable to speak but the family doesn't know. Following the graveside service I had an interesting conversation with one of the friends of the deceased. This friend told me they were certain the deceased "was saved because we went to church together." The tone of the friend's conversation was trying to put the deceased in heaven based on the fact they "went to church." The deceased person's salvation wasn't determined by a repentant heart and a life changed by Christ. The matter of their friend's eternal salvation was being considered based on the reality they had sat on a padded pew in a brick and mortar building.
The sad reality is that there are thousands, if not millions, of self-proclaimed Christians who grace the pews every Sunday but are no closer to salvation than the most vile person alive. Salvation, a relationship with God through Christ's sacrificial death on the cross, is not based on anything other than faith in Christ. God tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast." Basically, God is saying you can't do anything here on earth from your own intellect, skills, abilities, aptitude, or physicality to receive salvation. That means you can't use your muscles to walk into a church, sit in a pew for an hour, listen to a sermon, and expect to have a relationship with Christ based on those actions. That isn't how it works. Salvation is all based off of your belief in Jesus Christ as the sacrificial Son of God. If you put your eternal security in anything other than Christ and what He did for you on the cross, then you will be sadly disappointed when you take your last breath.
I know the tone of this blog can seem a little aggressive but that is not the case at all. We live in a world of watered-down, feel good theology that does not stand on the truths of God's Word. When people put their belief and faith in something other than Christ for their hope and salvation, they are putting their faith in something that will eventually fail them. I hope this post will help to steer some towards the truth rather than giving them false hope in eternity based on their ability to sit on a bench in a building.
If you have questions about salvation and need to talk to someone, then feel free to email me at pastornick@northcatawbabaptist.com.
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One evening last week I was called to the hospital and made it home just after supper. Ready to sit down and grab a bite for supper, I came in and headed to put up my truck keys and take off my shoes. As I walked down the hall towards my bedroom, I heard my oldest son Dru make a statement. This statement is the same statement he's made time and time again. The only thing different about the statement is the tone in which he spoke. Like any conversation you have, his tone reflected something different about the statement. All he said was "Hey dad." The thing that caught my attention as I made my way to the bedroom was that his tone implied he needed something. He might have had a question. He may have needed some help with something. He might have wanted something. In the end, I knew my son needed something from me.
I thought it was interesting that after 11 years I had tuned my ear to my child's voice in such a way that I could tell the inflection of his voice when he needed something. I find it even more interesting that it doesn't take that long for God to recognize that we have a need. Sure, God's ear is probably tuned to each of His child's voices like mine is, but the Bible tells us that God knows our needs before we even present them to Him. Jesus said in Matthew 6:8 (NIV), "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him." How reassuring is this. How comforting is it to know that before our need even arrives in our life God already knows about it. Not only does He know about it, but He's already made plans to meet your need.
Many times though, rather than relying on God to meet our needs we seek help and guidance from every place under the sun except Him. We talk to our friends. We Google an answer. We read articles. We do all this extra and unnecessary work when God has planned to provide for our need before we were ever born. All we have to do is ask Him for help. James 4:2 (NIV) warns us as to why we don't have God's provision in our life when we go chasing after help from the world. James wrote, "You do not have, because you do not ask God." Many times we wallow in need when God, who already knows and is ready to provide for our need, simply wants us to ask Him for the help. This isn't because He is some sort of power hungry, egotistical, self-absorbed megalomaniac. It's because He wants us to see He is our provider and He wants us to trust Him. He wants us to put our faith in Him for everything in this life, including when we need some help.
I'll end with this. I stopped in when I came back down the hall past my son's room. I simply asked him if he needed something and he did. If you're struggling with something and need God's help, don't wait. Go to Him in prayer and share with Him your need. He'll provide for your need as His will determines and you will begin to trust Him more as you see He is faithful to provide.
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Regret is a natural part of living life. We regret not taking action when we should have done so. We regret poor decisions we made. Even when someone says "I have no regrets," deep down there will always be regrets over things they would have done differently.
So why do we have regrets? We have regrets because we eventually have clarity that only comes with time. In the moment we can't see how a particular decision affects every aspect of our life down the road. It is only when we get farther down the road, further removed from the decision, that we see what we would have done differently.
The Christian life is no different. As we grow older we start to look back on our walk with Christ and feel regret over things we would have done differently. Some would have given their life to Christ much sooner. Others would have spent more time in prayer. Some would have spent more time reading and studying God's Word. While others would have served Him more faithfully. The list could go on and on and on.
So what would be the one thing some Christians will regret more than others? In a word, "apathy." I think that the one thing some Christians will regret more than anything else will be their apathy towards God, their relationship with Christ, and their service in the Kingdom of God. They will look back on their life and realize all of the time they wasted on things of this world all because they were apathetic towards their faith. They will look back over their life and see all the ways they tried to enjoy life and make the most of it, only to find that those things will pass away. The only thing in this life that will endure for eternity are the things we do for Christ. If we have nothing, or at the most very little, that we have done for Christ when this life is over, then we will see the regrets creeping in.
If regrets occur only after we've had time to see the affects of our decisions, then when will some Christians regret their apathy towards their faith? It could be when their older. It could be when they see their children and grandchildren growing up without a strong spiritual foundation. It could be when they take their first glance at Christ in heaven. The best time to have those regrets is right now, so you still have time to do something about it.
To the Christians who don't take seriously their walk with Christ, I hope you will hear this as a wake up call. A call to set aside the excuses of "I'm busy," "I sleep in on Sundays," or "I will get back in church soon." Hear this not as judgmental words but the truth spoken in love. Set aside the apathy and do what God designed you to do. Worship Him. Serve Him. Teach your family to do the same. Quit putting off to tomorrow what you need to do today. Because if you don't, eventually you will wake up with plenty to regret.
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Recently I found myself somewhat surprised by the language we heard when our family was on vacation in New York and Boston. With these two cities being as large as they are, not to mention northern cities well outside the Bible-belt, and a concentration of people who hold completely different values than we do, I fully expected to hear quite a bit of swearing. The ironic thing is I can only recall one specific time where we heard swearing to a degree that it caught our attention and we were concerned our kids would hear it. No, my kids don't live in some holier-than-thou bubble where they don't ever hear swear words, but my wife and I work hard to instill in them that swearing is not acceptable or common place. We don't swear at our kids or at each other for that matter. They do hear swear words in TV shows and movies. Unfortunately, our society is shifting to see swearing as more and more acceptable. The real question we ought to be asking ourselves is this, "Is swearing a matter of integrity?"
When you look up the word integrity in Webster's Dictionary here is the definition you will find. "The quality of being honest and fair; Firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values." When we think about swearing and integrity the two don't generally seem to be related. But when you think about the definition of integrity from a spiritual standpoint the two seem to more closely related than originally thought. If integrity has to do with "being honest" about who we are, say about being a Christian, then the words we use reveal how honest we are about who we are. If we have a certain moral code, say Christianity, that we adhere to and swearing is not a part of that moral code, then we see that swearing really is a matter of integrity.
If we are a Christian, then our responsibility is to live according to the teachings of the Bible. Basically, our faith determines the moral code we adhere to. That being said, we read in the Bible, in no uncertain terms, that swearing has no part in the life of a Christian. James 3:9-12 (NIV) says, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water." That needs no explanation or elaboration. That is as clear as it could be. Swearing has no place in the Christian's speech.
If our integrity, us being honest about who we are as a Christian and adhering to a Christian moral code, means that swearing should not be a part of our speech, then we must work to make it happen. We must seek God's help and His guidance through prayer. We must work to replace those words with more wholesome words (Ephesians 4:29) that edify and build up. In the end, those around us will notice a difference in our speech and not only will we be closer to God but hopefully others will be led closer to Him through our speech.
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There is something unusual about the way the wind blows in front of our church. It probably has to do with a couple of things: the lay of the land, the point on the hill where the church is located, and the trees on surrounding properties. One thing I have noticed on several occasions is that one of the two flags out front of our church moves more than the other. Could it have to do with the placement of the flag poles in relation to the hill and the trees? Sure. Do I take it as a "sign" of something bigger? No. The flag that seems to move regularly is the Christian Flag, as evidenced in the picture to the right. It moves with more frequency than the Flag of the United States of America. It has been a rather interesting sight to see from time to time.
The reality of what we see in those flags will one day be played out. Only one kingdom will remain standing when all others fall to the wayside. Now don't hear me prophesying doom to America because I'm as patriotic as the next red-blooded American. I stand, remove my hat, and place my hand over my heart when the national anthem is played or the pledge of allegiance is said. I think that America is a great nation with opportunity for all people and a land where, currently, I can practice my faith without fear of punishment or imprisonment. But one day my allegiance to the country of my birth will no longer matter. In that day my allegiance to the kingdom I've been adopted into will be all that matters.
God's Word tells us in Titus 3:7 that when we put our faith in Christ we become heirs of the God of the Universe. God also reminds us in Ephesians 1:5 that Christians are adopted into His family. This means that Christians are citizens of heaven (Paul's words not mine) and that we must remember we are simply passing through this country in which we live. What that means for us is that we should be good citizens of our nation and take full advantage of the liberties God has given us in this country. We should vote. We should pray for our government leaders. We should exercise our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We should do all of this as citizens of this great country. But we must also do it with an eye to the future when there will be only one Ruler and all earthly nations, kingdoms, and governments will have passed away. We look to that future either with fear or anticipation. Fear if we don't have a relationship with Jesus because we won't be ruling with Him. Instead we would be separated from Him forever. Anticipation if we have a relationship with Him because we will rule alongside Him (read the book of Revelation for a confirmation). We will rule and reign with Him forever.
Will it be disheartening one day in the future, after Christ returns to see my country and all the countries of the world no longer in existence? I'm sure on some level it will. But it won't compare to the joy experienced by being eternally in the presence of Christ. My encouragement to you today is to be ready for that day when it arrives, so you can remember with fondness the country that afforded you the freedom of worship and experience the kingdom that will last forever.
*Not sure if you'll be ready for that day when it arrives? Click here to make sure you are ready.
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You find yourself having some interesting conversations when you have two young sons who enjoy superheroes and comics. The other day the boys were asking me some rather pointed questions about one of their favorite superheroes, Wolverine. The funny thing is they were asking me questions as if Wolverine and I were old friends. I guess they thought I had a deeper understanding than they did about the mutant abilities of one of Marvel Comics more popular heroes. Here is the Reader's Digest version of his superpowers for those that aren't familiar with Wolverine or his abilities. Wolverine heals ridiculously fast, meaning he's nearly indestructible. He also has a fictitious but indestructible metal coating his skeleton. He also has three razor sharp blades that extend from his hands. Needless to say, he is pretty impressive when it comes to superheroes.
Since I'm always on the lookout for sermon illustrations and ideas for blog posts, I couldn't help but notice the correlation between Wolverine and how the church is supposed to be. Now I know in a perfect world with perfect people we would have a perfect church. Unfortunately we live in a sinful world full of imperfect people which results in a flawed church. But just because we live in a broken world doesn't mean we can't strive towards being a part of a great church that stands out from the world. To do so I think the church (the people not the building) needs to imitate the abilities of Wolverine and here's how...
Heal Quickly.
The church is full of sinful people. None of us are immune to sin and we'll all continue to sin until this life is over. The reality of our sinfulness plays itself out in the church. At times we can all be selfish, prideful, controlling, slanderous, or downright mean. When that happens people are hurt. The best way for Christians in the church to handle this type of situation is to expedite the healing process. That means don't go to everyone and their brother complaining and gossiping about what someone did to hurt you. Take it directly to the person and address the issue with them as quickly as you can. What you'll find is that Satan will use that difficult situation to cause more problems if you give it time hoping it will go away. Deal with it quickly, speak honestly, and work towards a resolution (Ephesians 4:26-27).
Have a Strong Backbone.
One of the more challenging aspects of dealing with people, inside and outside of the church, is speaking up for what is right. Sometimes that means an injustice has been done and we need to speak out against it. Usually we don't have trouble speaking up in that way. But when we hear people gossiping and slandering others, we need to be just as quick to speak up. What I've witnessed over the years, and I've seen myself do it too, is that someone makes a comment and you know you should say something to defend the person or stop the gossip, but instead you go silent. We've all been there, but that doesn't make it right. What we as a church need to do is to be bold in calling a sin a sin and standing up for what we know is right. Even if we have to stand out from the crowd to do so.
Use Your Weapon Wisely.
Some in the church have no problem cutting others down and then finding some obscure and out-of-context bible verse to support their mistreatment of others. Regardless of what they did to hurt you, two wrongs don't make a right. Two wrongs simply leave more people hurting and a bigger problem for all involved. The greatest weapon for dealing with people who have hurt us is not a sharp tongue, foul language, or gossip. The greatest weapon is the Bible. The Bible teaches us how we are to relate to God and to others. We are to treat others like we want to be treated (Luke 6:31). If I've hurt someone I would want to know about it so I could seek their forgiveness and make things right. If they respond with hatred and anger, chances are I'll never see the error of my ways. But if they were to respond to me with forgiveness because God had forgiven them (Ephesians 4:32), then I would be moved to seek restoration of the relationship. If we don't use our greatest weapon, the Bible, to help protect our church and the relationships we've built in it, then we haven't done our job as Christians.
It might be a bit much for some to compare the superpowers of a superhero to how the church can take a stand to standout in this world. But the truth of the matter remains the same, the church needs to learn to heal quickly, stand up for what is right, and put the truths of the Bible into practice. When the church does so, it will definitely become a church with awesome superpowers.
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A few weeks ago I started a series on "Difficult Questions for Christians." Here is where you can view the last four posts: "Why doesn't prayer work, when the Bible promises that it will?", "Why does the Bible record scientifically impossible events as factual?", "Where is the justice in punishing us for Adam's sin?", and "Why aren't Christians doing greater works than Jesus did, since He Himself said they would?" This week I'll attempt to answer one more of the thousands of difficult questions posed by skeptics and Christians alike. Remember a few things though as you read. 1. This is a short answer to a difficult question that has probably plagued the human heart for thousands of years. 2. God's Word is the ultimate authority with answers, not a fallible pastor. 3. The Bible doesn't give us the answers to every question we have. It tells us what we need to know, not necessarily what we want to know. With that being said, let's jump into our next question in the series.
Why is the Bible unclear about how to be saved?
This is a great question. The argument that will arise from this particular question is, if there is nothing more important in the Bible, then why is it ambiguous and contradictory? Why doesn't Jesus clearly explain the process in a step-by-step manner if salvation is so important? If the apostles were tasked with sharing the Gospel and leading people to salvation why didn't they write more clearly about it? I think to start off with you have to consider the role that perspective has on clarity.
Clarity or understanding something is dependent on your perspective. I am very unclear on the science behind how a rocket can leave the earth and make it into space. A rocket scientist doesn't have the same problem. It is the same with spiritual matters. Those who have completely shut God out and want no part of their life influenced by His Holy Spirit, they will not see the clarity of what the biblical texts show about how to be saved. To understand spiritual matters, which is what salvation is, a person must have their spiritual eyes open to what God wants to show them. Otherwise God's plan of salvation will seem unclear, convoluted, ambiguous, and contradictory.
Would things be much simpler if Jesus had given us a step-by-step process, then the Holy Spirit inspired the biblical writers to record the exact words and process? Sure it would. Can I tell you why God didn't work things out in that way? No I can't. Does it really matter? No it doesn't. The reason it doesn't matter is because the overarching theme of the Bible is God's plan for repairing the broken relationship between Him and man by dealing with mankind's sin. When you read the Bible from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 what you find is an interconnected series of events that show how man has broken their relationship with God by disobeying Him (sin) and how God has provided a way to restore that relationship. You can read more about how to repair your relationship with God here.
If a person reads the Bible by skipping from this chapter in this book to another chapter in another book, yes the plan of salvation can be lost in the mix. But when a person studies the Bible, not simply reads it, then they will begin to see what God says about salvation. Yes there are four specific verses in the book of Romans that when pieced together helps to clearly explain how to be saved (Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:23, 10:9-10,13). The important thing to remember is that everything between those verses helps to explain those specific verses and how they impact our understanding of salvation. In John 3, Jesus explains to a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus the hows and whys of salvation. Even Nicodemus, a man trained in the Jewish faith, didn't easily grasp Jesus' teachings. Remember, picking up the Bible and expecting to fully understand salvation from a randomly picked verse is like reading a few sentences in the Lord of the Rings and expecting to know the difference between a Hobbit and a Dwarf. It doesn't work that way.
One other thing to consider is that a person can be led to salvation by reading and understanding the biblical texts. But the salvation message, or Gospel, is meant to be shared from person to person. The biblical text is to give authority to the message of the Gospel when it is shared by Christians. Don't hear me saying the Bible is not important when it comes to the plan of salvation because it is very important. But God's design for the spreading of the Gospel was primarily person to person, not book to person. This is why Jesus told the apostles in Acts 1 to go into all the world and preach the Gospel (my paraphrase). The Christian is to help bring clarity and understanding to the Gospel message as the unbeliever reads the biblical text and has their heart illuminated by the Holy Spirit.
I'll close with this. There are plenty of verses in the Bible, when carefully studied and considered in regards to others, that help explain God's plan of salvation. The best way to fully understand how to be saved is to talk to someone who has experienced salvation. They can explain to you what it takes to be saved and what it means for you to be saved. The Bible will give you a clear understanding of salvation if you read and study the text. But you must encounter it with a desire to see what God wants to do in your life through His free gift of salvation.
I hope this brief look at "Why is the Bible unclear about how to be saved?" will help you see how God reveals His plan of salvation through the Bible. As always, I'm open to comments and questions, either here on the blog or via Social Media. If this question brings to mind another difficult question about faith, then by all means ask it.
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