Introduction
I recently had a vivid mental image of a drowning person being rescued. The rescuer does all the work; the one being saved must simply stop struggling. That picture stayed with me, and over time I began to see it as a metaphor for salvation. Could it be that God rescues us in the same way - entirely by His initiative, not ours?
The Struggle of Belief
For years, I wrestled with the idea that salvation depended on my ability to “believe.” I was taught to pray a prayer of belief, and then it was supposedly settled. But doubts lingered: How much belief is enough? What if I stop believing tomorrow? Did I say the prayer correctly?
The emphasis on having a “salvation birthday” only deepened my uncertainty. I prayed many times, hoping to secure assurance, but the nagging question remained: Was I doing it right?
Adoption: God’s Initiative
Paul’s letters offer a different perspective. In Ephesians 1:5, Romans 8:15, and Galatians 4:5, he speaks of salvation as adoption. And what does an adopted child do to make adoption happen? Nothing. The adopter takes all the responsibility, bears all the cost, and completes all the work.
So it is with salvation: God does the work, not us. Our attempts to “struggle” - whether through prayers, rituals, or efforts to prove our faith - can actually obscure the truth that salvation is God’s gift, not our achievement.
Born Again: A Passive Birth
Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again.” Evangelical Christians often highlight this phrase, but consider the metaphor. What role did we play in our natural birth? None. Our parents carried the responsibility, with help from doctors and nurses, until we entered the world.
If our first birth required nothing from us, why assume our second birth - being “born from above” - depends on our effort? Birth, like adoption and rescue, is something done for us, not by us.
Wrestling with Universalism
Some may cry “Universalist!” when they hear this. But why is that such a bad word? If salvation is God’s work, entirely His initiative, then perhaps our role is not to measure belief or effort but to rest in His action. Struggling to earn salvation may only make the rescue harder to see.
Conclusion
Whether through the image of rescue, adoption, or birth, the message is consistent: salvation is God’s work from beginning to end. We do not earn it, secure it, or sustain it. We are simply brought into it.
Like the drowning person who stops struggling, the adopted child who does nothing, or the newborn who simply arrives - salvation is not our achievement. It is God’s gift.
