Tebow & True Salvation

"To Live is Christ" Phil. 1:21

How does Tim Tebow stir so much controversy when that's clearly not his goal?  It's not the Te-bowing that's ignited an eruption of Te-blogging and unusually harsh criticism.  Athletes have been taking a reverent knee in the endzone, crossing their chests before a kick, and pointing to heaven for years without any outcry of opposition.  So what's the big difference with Tebow?  Here's the difference.  Tebow doesn't just Te-Bow.  If all he did was Te-Bow, the world would have no problem with him.  Here's why so many persecute and criticize him:
  

Tebow shows signs of true salvation by taking every opportunity to tell the world Jesus is Lord and Savior for whom Tebow lives to love and glorify in all Tebow does and says.  

Only God knows who is truly saved, but we can see signs that mark the genuine Christ-follower.  The true convert--the sincere Christ-follower--tells others about Jesus, the only way to be saved from the judgment to come (John 14:6; 1 Thes. 1:10).

Jesus clearly warned that the world would hate his disciples and persecute them because of his words and because he spoke truth, just as his true disciples would share Jesus' words and speak the truth in love (John 8:39-47; 17:6-17).

In Mark 4, Jesus told a parable that distinguishes the true convert from the false.  Jesus said this parable is the key to understanding all parables.  Here's what Jesus said:

“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” ... 10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.... 13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

Notice Jesus said "trouble or persecution comes because of the word" (Mark 4:17).  The true believer sows the Word, the Gospel, but does not fall away when trouble and persecution comes from the world, which hates God's Word and hates people who share God's Word.  Tebow shares Jesus, the Word of God (John 1), but he does not shrink back or fall away in the face of persecution.


When Jesus rode into Jerusalem prior to his crucifixion to celebrate the Passover (commemorating how the Angel of Death passed over the homes of the children of Israel who spread the blood of a sacrificial lamb over the doors of their homes, trusting by faith that God would spare them from the judgment to come upon Egypt), "the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! (Matt 21:9-10). "Hosanna" literally means, "save now." The crowd shouted to Jesus, whose name means "salvation," to "save now"! They were declaring him Savior! In their devotion to Him, they could not help but shout their praise and openly display their affection for him.

That's what a believer does. That's what Tebow does. He doesn't just bow in the endzone. He proclaims his love and adoration for his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, every chance he gets.

Then, when Jesus went into the temple after arriving in Jerusalem, he taught God's Word and healed people. While those who loved Jesus came to him and praised him, others were angry and hateful. "But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant ..." (Matt. 21:15).

Just as Jesus warned, the world gets upset at open displays of affection and adoration for Him. They reject the Word of God. They don't want to hear about Jesus and the Word. They will tolerate pointing to heaven quietly. They will tolerate taking a knee in silence. But you better not praise and adore Jesus vocally and openly, and you certainly better not call him Lord and Savior, or all hell will break loose as it has with Tebow.

Look at the Apostle Paul's life. Everywhere he went, he shared the gospel. And in most places, some believed, repented of their sins (turning to follow Christ with their lives), and trusted in Christ as Savior (e.g., 1 Thes. 1), while others grew angry, jealous, and erupted with persecution and rioting (e.g., Acts 17:1-8).

Paul shared the gospel for three weeks in Thessalonica (Acts 17:2). How did those who chose to believe in Christ and repent begin to live? They turned from their worldly ways (1 Thes. 1:9-10), and they told everyone they could about Jesus everywhere they went (1 Thes. 1:6-8). In fact, Paul declared in thankful amazement that "not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything" (1 Thes. 1:7-8). Imagine that! These new believers were so vocal about Jesus that Paul, Timothy, and Silas "need not say anything"! Wow! That's a powerful conversion and gospel witness.

For that reason, Paul told these newborn Thessalonian converts that he knew their faith and conversion were real because they shared the gospel boldly even in the face of great persecution and opposition (1 Thes. 1). And that's the difference with Tebow. He's a real Christian because he really loves the Lord and it really shows because he is so openly affectionate for the Lord and shares openly about Jesus whenever he can. And for that, the false Christians and the worldly unbelievers get upset and angry, stirring up persecution and opposition, just as Jesus predicted and just as Paul warned all of his hearers (1 Thes. 3:4).

What about you? What's your reaction to Tebow's open displays of affection for the Lord and his open proclamation that Jesus is Lord and Savior? If it makes you uncomfortable or indignant, please examine yourself to make sure you're really in the faith. Paul wrote that a true believer is "not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe" (Rom. 1:16). Jesus said, "For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38).

For an outstanding teaching on true and false conversion, click HERE.  Please share this with your friends and family before it's too late.