From time to time certain things I hear will rub me the wrong way. That happened tonight as I heard an online preacher who seems to be running a multi-level marketing scheme, connect his good fortune in life to when he was radically saved.

Now, in the past I have heard others use this expression but it bothered me tonight, probably because I was of the frame of mind that this fellow may not even be truly born again. I will leave that to the Lord to decide, but using terminology like radically saved does seem to be self promoting if you ask me.

All who are saved are saved by the grace and mercy of God, and the moment you describe your salvation in a way that doesn’t align with how all are saved (by the grace and mercy of God) something’s a-miss in your understanding of what salvation is all about.

In the New Testament the apostle Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus) had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ in which he was blinded by the glory of the Lord. Paul immediately surrendered to the Lord and became a servant of Christ. In the New Testament Paul speaks of his salvation numerous times and never once does he use such hyper descriptions such as radically saved, to describe what happened. Paul always boasts in the grace and mercy of God. Here is one example:

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. ~ 1 Timothy 1:12-16

It would serve us well to guard against self promotion and learn to recognize it when it comes to the things of the Lord. Without the grace and mercy which is found in Christ Jesus, we would all be lost in our sins. It doesn’t matter if you were a drug dealer or a choir boy, we are all saved by the same power, and that is through God’s glorious grace.

May God give us all understanding.