My Goal is Safety

     I saw a Spectrum repairman's truck yesterday. It bore a plaque which said, "My goal is safety." That seemed ludicrous to me. If he wanted to merely be safe he would have stayed at home! His actual goal was reward for his work, and safety was a strategy in obtaining the goal. I worked for General Motors for years, and they had to same slogan. Safety is much more than a slogan; it requires caring, planning, effort, and methodology.
    Why write about slogans? Because Christians' goals are more than safety. Remember all the times you have heard, I'm saved. Actually, they are not, but they are "safe." (Greek sosos; "safe"). Safety is not their goal; saved is. Safety is the strategy to obtain the goal. The actual goal is to be saved from Hell and the strategy for that is to endure to the end. (Mat 10:22). The enduring part must be done safely to be saved. Safety is protection from Satan and his demons. Demons are much more powerful than humans, so for those who see the need, God grows a hedge of safety about the faithful (Job 1:10).
    The hedge of safety is available to all who need it. Regeneration, or "born again" is when sinners are enlightened to the fact: I can't save myself but Jesus can, and then trust Jesus to do the saving! (John 3). Regeneration, then, is willingly asking God for safety, trusting that he has that ability, and then living in safety. Safety has strategies, just as the Spectrum repairman; that is to live a safe life by being cautious. They don't do stupid things like holding onto voltage leads for the thrill of it!
     Neither do Christians do stupid things, like lascivious behavior for the thrill of it. To not be killed by stupidity, the repairman stays away from high voltage - the potential for current to flow. For the Christian to be safe, he or she stays away from temptation - the potential to sin.
     Sometimes the repairman needs a second eye to remain safe. Christians can't stay safe alone either. They always need the second set of eyes, ears, and service. Christians are to pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Mat 6:13). That is, Lord, keep me in safety from the high voltage so that I won't be shocked by sin! Sin kills. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). Not to die is the goal. Living safely is the way not to die. By not entering into temptation keeps Christian safe from the Devil until they are ultimately saved by profitability - "To die is gain" (Phil 1:21). Death is the goal, then, for salvation is the prize. It's not safety which is the goal but salvation! What is salvation from? The wiles of the Devil and deliverance from eternity in Hell. Death is the time of salvation; that's when Jesus grabs you from the fiery furnace and provides new indestructible flesh.
     Words mean things. It should be obvious that safety is not your goal. There is more to the reward than the enlightenment about salvation. The goal is to stay safe until the end to obtain the prize (1 Cor 9:24). The goal is salvation. Staying safe is walking the narrow way through the straight gate (Mat 7:13-14).  It is a short walk for some, and a long walk for others, but for both, it is safety until salvation is achieved.