What Does Being "SAVED" Really Mean?

I have decided that I would like to explore this topic. I realized recently that there may be a lot of misconceptions about this subject.  I do know that there are quite a few disagreements on the subject but the Bible is clear.

During Sunday School last week we were discussing the parable of The Rich Young Ruler. Of course, I had heard this story multiple times and I was used to generally looking at it from the usual perspective, which was a rich person who didn't want to give everything up to follow Jesus. But I was thinking about it from a different angle this time.

Before Jesus died and returned to heaven there was no helper. (John 16: 6-8, John 14:16 & John 14:26) The Holy Spirit only came upon people when God specifically sent Him to someone, as in the case of Mary when she conceived Jesus. Prior to this, the Jews believed that when they were blessed financially it was a sure sign of God's favor.

Just imagine how mind boggling this new concept that Jesus was preaching must have been. He asks Jesus, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" After all, no one knew about 'accepting Jesus', right? So I was wondering how people were "saved" prior to the coming of Jesus. The following is an excerpt from
                             

                              HOW WERE PEOPLE SAVED BEFORE JESUS CAME?

                                                            BOB BRYANT

                                    Cypress Valley Bible Church Marshall, Texas

How were people saved before Jesus came? Just like you and I are saved—by faith alone in Christ alone. For them, it was by faith in the Christ who had not yet come. For us, it is by faith in the same Christ who has come. No one has ever been or ever will be saved apart from believing in Christ for eternal life. We must reach people with the one and only message that provides eternal salvation today, just as it did before Jesus came. (End of Excerpt)

But we have the benefit of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Bible to help us. People back then really had to rely more on faith. That's why scripture says that Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness.  He believed what God told him.

Then we look at Job, which kind of seems at odds to what Jesus says but I like this particular perspective on it:
Matthew Henry Commentary
1:1-5 Job was prosperous, and yet pious. Though it is hard and rare, it is not impossible for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. By God's grace the temptations of worldly wealth may  overcome. The account of Job's piety and prosperity comes before the history of his great afflictions, showing that neither will secure from troubles. While Job beheld the harmony and comforts of his sons with satisfaction, his knowledge of the human heart made him fearful for them. He sent and sanctified them, reminding them to examine themselves, to confess their sins, to seek forgiveness; and as one who hoped for acceptance with God through the promised Saviour, he offered a burnt-offering for each. We perceive his care for their souls, his knowledge of the sinful state of man, his entire dependence on God's mercy in the way he had appointed.

Now back to The Rich Young Ruler. What it boils down to is that he didn't believe Jesus. He was too attached to his worldly possessions to think beyond this world. He walked away sad but lost as a billy goat. After hearing the gospel from Jesus Himself! Wow! But are we so very different, really? Every one of us has the opportunity to believe God, to seek forgiveness and accept His Son for who He truly is. Why haven't we all done that?? You know that each and every one of us is going to die one day, right? Not only can we have the assurance of an eternity spent in Heaven with our heavenly Father instead of an eternity spent in a fiery hell, but we will have the presence of Jesus every day to help us through this difficult journey that we call life. Someone to hold onto, to guide us, to love us, and to give us life more abundantly. John 10:10. I can't think of a better way to live our lives. He promises all these things in His word. 

Think on these things.  Search your heart. Are you really saved or just pretending? What would happen if today was your last day on earth? No one knows when that time will come. Are you prepared? Do you know that you know that you know that you're saved? I can't think of anything more frightening than that uncertainty.

I'm here for you. If you have any questions please contact me. If anyone has any additional comments they'd like to add as well, I'd love to hear them. There's always more that can be said but I need to stop. I cannot stress enough the urgency of making the very important decision. If not now, when? Don't wait!

I love ya'll! If you want me to pray for you I will be happy to. Just contact me.