04/20/2023
As I thought about the point of my morning devotional reading by E.M. Bounds, I looked back on my own life as a Christian and could easily see the point he was making regarding action. His point was that working, and moving about, doesn’t insure that a person is advancing and becoming more devoted to their faith in God and Jesus.
"Work is not zeal. Moving about is not devotion." E.M. Bounds
Over the years I have watched as people professed their faith, and then began frantically working in the church and for church causes... but suddenly they would disappeared from the pews. They had missed the most important part of their transformation... that we are saved and changed by grace, and that we don't earn salvation through our works... salvation is a gift we receive by believing.
So these folks begin cooking meals, collecting canned goods for the hungry, working on church work days... You get the drift! Then somewhere along the way they find out that they aren't changing, aren’t being perfected as they thought they would be, that they are falling short in some way every day… and when this happens they start feeling like failures or hypocrites. If we reach a point where our disappointment overcomes us then we will be tempted to throw in the towel. People who reach this point never seek help from those around them or ask the pastor why they can't seem to follow Jesus perfectly. They don't study or search out what it truly means to follow Jesus. This is a sad situation. In all of their initial desire they have missed the key ingredient... that they were saved by grace. They substituted their own actions for devotion and failed to hand the reins of their life over to Jesus, and God as they formed a spiritual relationship with them.
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19 KJV
This is like calling for a limousine and then wanting to drive it yourself... driving isn't our job; we must trust the chauffeur, simply take in the scenery, and thank him when he opens the door at your destination. The limousine trip is for us but not about our taking action. Granted, Jesus is a bit different... we didn't have to ask Him for a ride (redemption)... He gave it to us freely and was there at our door knocking when we needed Him.
So we can't earn our way into heaven; we can't work our way into the grace of God; no, we don't have the right stuff, we can't even do enough jobs in a lifetime to lift our feet off the ground... so how do we gain forgiveness and become pure in the eyes of God?
Well, the good news is that God has made provision for us that requires nothing but our believing and devotion to His son Jesus and Himself. In fact, Jesus gives us this answer himself in a couple of scriptural references...
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
John 14:6 KJV
“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.”
Luke 9:23-24 KJV
Our devotion is to our God, and His Son, who understand our frailties and are willing to forgive us our sins if we sincerely ask and repent of them. One of the most wonderful scriptures regarding forgiveness is in Psalm 103 where we read of God's perfect forgiveness…
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.”
Psalms 103:8-13 KJV
So to those who can’t seem to work hard enough, who strive and fail, or run and fall, I can tell you as my earthly father used to tell me when I would fall... "Shake it off!" Our Heavenly Father wants us to get up (ask for forgiveness), brush ourselves off (repent), and continue to run after Him (devote ourselves). Our forgiveness isn't based on the completion of some checklist of penitent tasks or trials, it’s simply received by asking, repenting, and renewing the devotion of our lives to Him. It is ours by His grace.
So, don't beat yourself up when you fall short, or can’t do enough… simply get up, repent, and shake it off. The grace of God through Jesus Christ is waiting to transform you, and increase you in faith.
Prayer:
Father thank you for your boundless love, mercy, and grace, and thank you for your Son Jesus Christ by whose life, death, and resurrection our sins have been forgiven, death has been defeated, and through whom your amazing gift of grace flows. We thank you for allowing us to love you and for accepting our meager gifts of service as tokens of that love. Help us Father to always remember that our works are not a price we must pay to receive your grace, but simply humble love offerings to you that are the products of our faith.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 1:14-16, 17 ESV
Rich Forbes