09/18/2022
I have traveled far, and returned to my parent’s home. My father died many years ago, but now my mother lies struggling in the final days of her life. Last night I slept in her quiet house as she lay fitful in a hospital room across town while my sisters tended to her. I went into her kitchen, prepared a cup of coffee, and sat down in my familiar chair where I had spoken so many times with her about life and faith, but as I turned to set my cup down there was a tiny little book sitting in the saucer. It was simply constructed; a white cover with a big smiley face, the word SMILE printed boldly above it, and the words “Jesus Loves You” below. It was a simple book containing four verses of scripture that would lead a person to Christ. It begins with a series of questions concerning one’s life and then a statement regarding our sinful nature. Understanding who we are is not hard, nor is it a mystery…
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
Romans 3:23 ESV
My mother was struggling across town, and yet here we were, having our morning devotional talk that had grown so familiar to us when we were together. Every morning we would take our cups of coffee, sit in her living room… her on the love seat, and me across from her in my chair, and talk about God, Jesus Christ, and life. Today I want to invite you to join us, and ask that you take a seat with us in her living room.
Our conversations are not deep theological discussions, but about the simplicity of faith, and how blessed we are each day to be with Jesus in God’s presence. You see, salvation, and the gospel message are not difficult concepts; they can be summed up in two words… love, and belief. As I sit here today it is no different, and the next verse in her little book speaks to the wages of sin, and how God has made a way for us to escape them.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23 ESV
The next verse builds on God’s plan for our salvation by revealing how simple it really is. We don’t have to suffer, or perform some series of trials in order to receive the gift of eternal life. We don’t have to journey to Jerusalem, or perform some pilgrimage of faith. No, God comes to us, and knocks on our door. Do you hear the sound of His knocking right now? If so, then open the door to your heart for Him, and without your saying a word He will come in… simple!
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
Revelation 3:20 ESV
Now God is with us, in our hearts, in our minds, and we are dining with Him, but we are not sitting with a visitor who came to our door, no, we are breaking bread with our Heavenly Father. As simple as that we have been adopted into a new family, and have a new brother in Jesus.
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”
John 1:12 ESV
This is the simplicity of faith, and nowhere in scripture is it more obvious, and stated more completely than in John 3:16-18. Today, as we sit here together in my mother’s living room, reading her tiny little book, and smiling, let’s read this scripture aloud, and then thank God for knocking on our door…
““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
John 3:16-18 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the simplicity in coming to know you, and in our coming to believe in you. Thank you for how much your love leads us through Jesus to answer the door, and guides us to this understanding of faith, and redemption. Holy, Holy, Holy are you our God who wants none to perish, and for all to believe. Wash us today in the blood of your Son Jesus, and wash away our sin the very instant we receive it, and believe in Him. Praised be your name for knocking on the door of our hearts, and for coming in to claim us as your children. Hear our simple prayer today “Father I accept you as my God, and your Son Jesus as my redeemer. I believe in you, and have faith in your Word, and the gospel of Jesus.” By this simple prayer, here with me today, you have entered into the conversation my mother and I have been having my whole life… a simple discussion of the love we have for our Father, and the faith we have in Jesus Christ… welcome home.
“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 ESV
Rich Forbes