Recently, I heard a sermon that a preacher titled “Instant Christianity.” His argument was that we live in an instant world and many Christians have been spoiled wanting everything from God right now.

Nobody wants to wait on anything. It definitely is true that God wants to teach us perseverance, and I agreed with the sermon. However, there are many things in Christianity that happens instantly. Here are a few.

First, we can count on an “instant salvation.” The moment we believe from the heart that Jesus died for our sin, was buried, and conquered death by resurrection, we are saved. I talk to Christians who don’t understand this.

They hope that when life is over that they will make it into heaven. But because salvation is based on grace and faith and the atoning work of Jesus on the cross salvation is given to us immediately upon believing on Jesus for salvation.

John 3:16 says that whosover believes in Jesus has (in the present) eternal life.

Second, we can count on an “instant change.” We are not saved just because we pray a prayer. If true faith happens the Bible teaches that we will be born again. This born again experience is the true test of our salvation.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is (present tense) a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). God created us the first time in our mothers’ wombs.

Salvation brings a spiritual creation in Christ. This creation is a new person that lives for God and good.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).

Third, we can count on an “instant freedom.” Before we come to Jesus for salvation the Bible teaches that we are under the bondage of sin. This is why sinning, going against the commandments of God, is easy for us.

Our flesh is held captive to sin, and we find it hard to break from the cycle of sin or bring true change in our lives. However, when we get saved the power of God becomes ours and breaks the cycle. We find the freedom to live for God. “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Ro. 6:18). Listen to verse 22: “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”

Lastly, sometime in the future we can count on “instant bodily resurrection.” When we die our bodies will be put in a grave.

They will decay and go back to the ground from which God originally made mankind. However, we have the assurance that one day our bodies will burst forth victoriously from the graves.

“In a moment in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible… For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory” (I Cor. 15:52-53).

Thank God for an “instant Christianity”

James Kearns is pastor at Bald Knob Church at Kitts Hill