Does 40 – days fasting save us?
We are in the Lent season of prayer and fasting.
And we raise the question, “Does a 40–day fasting save us?”
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Have you heard Awuramah Yeboah say, “I have been going to church for many years, but I don’t feel saved.
One of the biggest things in my life is I’m just unable to let go.
I find it practically impossible to forgive wrongs done to me.
My strongest inclination is to plan a careful revenge or vengeance”.
I wouldn’t forgive wrong done me.
Finally, this year, I thought my way out was to go on this Lent season 40-days fast so that I could get saved!”
Well, Awuramah may be sincere in going through fasting.
But she is sincerely wrong in thinking that fasting, food, sex, pleasure and others will in themselves get her saved. Sorry, she is wrong.
God’s word is the only sure guide on how a person is accepted before God.
How a person can be transformed to get a new god-like nature and can love God, accept His forgiveness; love other people genuinely, forgive people for wrongs done to them, and enjoy peace and happiness in Christ.
And in the life to come, enjoy together with other true believers, the presence and company of the Majestic Biblical Most High God, forever and ever, and ever! That’s awesome.
The Bible teaches that only Jesus Christ saves.
At birth, He was to be named Jesus, “for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21).
The name “Jesus” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name Joshua, which means “Yahweh saves.”
In fact, in one of His glorious “I am” sayings, Jesus Christ Himself declared; “I am the way, the truth and the life.
No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NLT).
The Lord Jesus claims that absolutely no one can be saved except through Him! In another public ministry statement, Jesus said, “The Son of man came not to be served, but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45 NLT).
The Apostle John writes at the very beginning of the Gospel of John that “In Christ was life, and the life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
And to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.
They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” (John 1:4-5 ESV and 1:12-13 NLT).
Indeed, John the Baptist would introduce Jesus: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29b ESV). Later, the Apostle John would write: “And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.” (1 John 5:11-12 NLT).
It is that emphatic:
• “Whoever has the Son, has life”
• “Whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.”
The Apostle Paul says, “People don’t understand God’s way of making people right with Himself.
All who believe in Christ are made right with God: “All who believe in Him are made right with God.
If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
As the Scriptures tell us, Anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.” (Romans 10:3,4,9-11 NLT).
The Apostle Paul also gives the following classic teachings on how people are saved:
• “God made Christ, who never sinned to be the offering for our sin so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT).
• “He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.” (Romans 4:25 NLT).
• “God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” (Ephesians 2:8 NLT).
The Apostle Peter, preaching in Jerusalem states: “People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders and signs through him, as you well know.
But God knew what would happen and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed Him to a cross and killed Him.
But God released Him from the horrors of death and raised Him back to life, for death could not keep Him in its grip.
So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” (Acts 2:22-24, 36 NLT).
The Bible records: “Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and the other Apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:37-38 NLT).
When a person believes in Jesus the Lord and truly repents, he or she receives God’s total forgiveness and God’s transforming gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit Jesus gives the believing and repentant person comes to indwell her and transforms her, giving her a new God-like nature within – “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.
The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT).
The Reformation preachers rejected false teachings and practices in the Church concerning how we are saved.
Fasting and prayer on its own cannot save you.
Giving and sowing financial seeds into the lives of “Men of God” cannot save you.
We are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone.
The Reformation preachers focused on helping people to understand, “God’s ways of making people right with Himself.”
Their Biblical emphasis includes the following Five “Reformation Solas” or “what alone saves people”:
• We are saved by “grace alone.”
• We are saved through “faith alone.”
• We are saved by “Christ alone,” based on the saving events of Christ alone – His death and resurrection.
• We are saved based on what “the Bible alone” teaches about salvation.
• We are saved for “the glory of God alone.”
Yes, we are saved by Jesus alone – even though He is God, He became human to die for sin and rise from the dead to make us right with God!
(The author is a consultant in Authentic Christian Spirituality and Discipleship and former CEO of Scripture Union)
