10/26/2019
Are we able to earn our own salvation by conforming perfectly to God’s law, living an entirely sin-free life, and doing good works? Well, these are noble pursuits, and doing these things would make us a lot like Jesus was, but unfortunately, even this is beyond our ability. So God instituted the act of sacrifice to cleanse mankind, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ superseded the earlier form of annual cleansing with a perfect and everlasting gift of purification through God’s grace... because even though we believe, we all continue to sin. We are told this in the Old Testament...
“Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.”
Ecclesiastes 7:20 ESV
And we are told again in the New Testament...
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”
Romans 3:23-24 ESV
thus, we are lost without God’s forgiveness and grace.
Even if we lived in a barren wilderness, and never to come into contact with another person, we would still sin, because sin is not against man, or because of him, but instead it is against God. So without believing in Jesus, and the sacrifice He made for us, we are lost, and the grace of God is not given to cover us. the sacrifice of Jesus cleanses us, and cleanses us, and cleanses us of our sin, but still we continue to sin... it is only by God’s gift of grace that we find relief... by His continuous and amazing application of grace.
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
1 John 1:7-8 ESV
So how do we become recipients of this amazing grace? Well, we receive it through The same person from which the blood sacrifice has been made for us... Jesus. Our forgiveness, and God’s grace are not earned, they are a gift, and this gift is like a river flowing eternally over us; it is not a single event that occurs, and then is done, but a continuous stream that is performing its incredible perfection without ceasing.
“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”
John 1:16 ESV
In this way we are justified, not by our own efforts, but by God’s gift of grace through the redemption of Christ.
“the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”
Romans 3:22-24 ESV
So we strive for a sin-free life by loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and we work at doing the other things we have been commanded to do. We believe Jesus to be God’s Son who is our perfect sacrifice, and we adhere to all He has shown, and commanded of us, but in the end it all comes down to the grace of God which we receive through the redemption of Jesus Christ. We can’t earn it, or negotiate for it... no, it is given... it is a gift from God to the believers in Him, and His Son, and this gift is for all believers, and flows eternally.
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
Romans 5:1-2 ESV
Thus, we work at obedience, we strive for perfection, but it is only God’s grace that makes us perfect before Him, and only our faith in Jesus that causes His redemptive power to be applied to us. So here we have it... are you accepting of God, Jesus, and the gift of grace that is extended to you? You might argue that you are an undeserving sinner, but sinlessness, and perfection was never a qualification for God calling us to believe in Him. Are you ready to believe, to be redeemed, and receive God’s grace that will transform you into that person God desires you to be?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for reaching out to us while we are yet sinners, and thank you for your Son Jesus Christ who lived, died, and was resurrected that we might be redeemed from sin and death. See the truth of our love for you in our hearts, and witness our belief in your Son Jesus by the tears in our eyes Lord. Let the redemption of Jesus be ours, and your grace flow from Him to cover us forevermore. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who made provision for us, and brings us pure, and redeemed by Christ, to Himself where we become children of God. Praised be your name, and all glory is yours through the fullness of your grace. Hear now our prayer...
Holy Father I profess my love for you, and dedicate myself to serving you. I believe in your Son Jesus Christ, and His life, death, resurrection, and ascension. I thank you for His Love, redemptive power, and the forgiveness of sin it has brought me. I acknowledge that I am a sinner, and ask for Your continued forgiveness, not because of any good thing I have done, but by your amazing grace that flows eternally through Jesus Christ. Transform me Father into the righteous person you would have me be... that I can love and serve you always, and join Jesus at your table as an heir, and joint heir with Him in you.
Amen
Rich Forbes