“He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household’” (NIV).
In these sacred words, we find the essence of the plan of salvation, distilled into a formula as simple as it is profound. For the African American experience, which has been marred by the stains of oppression and struggle, the assurance of salvation offered by the Holy Scripture is a beacon of hope, a lighthouse that guides us through the tempestuous seas of life.
We must, therefore, delve deeper into the plan of salvation to discern its implications for our community and the world. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, elucidates the nature of this blessed gift: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV).
Here, we are reminded that the plan of salvation is not a reward to be earned but a gift to be received. It is not contingent on our worldly accomplishments nor on our ability to navigate the treacherous waters of a society that seeks to subdue, subjugate, and diminish us. Rather, it is a testament to the boundless love of the Creator, who reaches out to us in our brokenness and offers us hope.
Yet, the plan of salvation is not only a source of hope; it is also a call to action. For in accepting the gift of salvation, we are called to be instruments of God’s grace in the world, to bear witness to the transformative power of love and faith, and to end injustice wherever we find it. In the words of the Apostle James, “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17, NIV).
Our collective experience in the home of the brave, land of the free, is a testament to the power of faith in action. From the slave revolts of old to the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century, to the struggle to release the unchecked stranglehold upon many of our necks, our history is replete with examples of men and women who have embraced the plan of salvation and used it as a catalyst for societal and spiritual change.
The plan of salvation is our compass, our guide, through the stormy seas of life. And as we continue to navigate the treacherous currents of a world that seeks to subdue and oppress, let us hold fast to the promise of salvation and the assurance that, in the end, all things shall be made new.
