The gift of salvation through God's grace and our belief in Jesus Christ is totally of God, and has nothing to do with our earning it... but does that relieve us of all personal responsibility?
All in Grace
The gift of salvation through God's grace and our belief in Jesus Christ is totally of God, and has nothing to do with our earning it... but does that relieve us of all personal responsibility?
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.
As Christians we all believe that Jesus, the Son of God, was born, lived, suffered, died, was resurrected, and ascended into Heaven. We all trust that by believing in Him that these things will happen, and are happening, to us as well, but we are often uncertain about why, how, or what comes next. We think about the joy, the peace, the rest, the singing, and all of the other things going on in Heaven, but more than all else there is one thing that awaits us… we will be seated there at the right hand of God with Jesus. You see, all of this has been done, and is being done by God… by His mercy, but moreover by His grace, and because He loves us.
We are under grace, and this opens to us an unmerited access to life everlasting through Jesus Christ. Jesus allows for the forgiveness of sin in us, not because we warrant it, but because of God’s mercy, and amazing grace. The more we have sinned, the greater God’s grace grows, so that through it we are forgiven. But, we are a people who are inclined to take advantage of any opportunity to advance ourselves, even when that opportunity presents itself in greed and selfishness. In this way, if we are not careful, we will look at God’s gift of grace as an opportunity to sin without lasting consequence. Paul warns us against this in his letter to the Romans, but do we pay attention to his warning in our lives today?
Is redemption simply a matter of spouting off a few words? Is contrition no more than asking for forgiveness, or does the sorrow we feel in having sinned, and the absolute longing of our soul for forgiveness reach deep within us, and bring us to the verge of heartbreak and beneath the lentel of death’s door to the promise of forgiveness?
There is nothing more certain in our lives than the love of God for us in Christ Jesus. Even in our earthly death we remain with Him, and His love remains with us. Though we mourn, and suffer the death of our loved ones, God does not, because they remain in Him, and He in them through His Son Jesus, and the unfathomable depth of His Love for us. Isn’t it wonderful to consider the perfection of Christ, and the love of God? Doesn’t this sooth, and bring comfort to our mourning?
Grace... how do we understand its meaning? as used in the Bible, we interpret it to mean mercy, pardon, power, healing, kindness, and in all cases... unwarranted favor. We are told in scripture that it comes to us from God by way of His Son Jesus. However, the Hebrew definition is a bit different, and means to render kindness to another as their superior. In both cases there is an implied sense of beauty associated with the act. So how will God’s grace be given you today? In what beautiful way will grace be rendered in your life?
When we see ourselves as strong, mighty, and self-sufficient then we are foolish, but when we consider ourselves as small, and humble before God, then we are wise indeed. How do we view ourselves, and conduct our affairs? Do we spend our time gathering sustenance from God’s Word, seeking safety and protection in His shadow, walking obediently in the way of righteousness, and completing our day by humbly worshiping before the Father’s feet?
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.
Do you give much thought to the mercy of God, and what He does for us in this regard every day? Sometimes we look at a chain of “fortunate” occurrences and think we were “lucky”, but that discounts the ever present hand of God in our lives. Today let’s contemplate the mercy of God.
Do you resist faith, or neglect sitting at the feet of Jesus, because you don’t feel worthy, or perhaps you snub your nose at faith, and avoid Christ because you feel these things are beneath you. It doesn’t really matter what separates you from God, the great loss comes simply from your separation. We are no better or worse from one another when lost to faith, and unable to walk with the Lord.
Are you resisting the urge to get on your knees today and ask Jesus to truly come into your heart because you don’t feel worthy? Have you toyed with believing, and tried to lead a good life so that one day you might make yourself good enough for Him? Well faith in Christ does not have perfection as a prerequisite, and walking towards Him is not a self-help endeavor, Jesus didn’t give His life for the perfect, He gave it for the lost, the sinners, the imperfect. He gave it so that you could ask for forgiveness and receive it by grace.
As Christians we talk a great deal about our sanctification, holiness, works, and other spiritual endeavors; all of these are good subjects to discuss, but never lose sight of the fact that you were redeemed, justified, and made pure and acceptable to God by the grace which flows through His Son Jesus Christ. That grace is the forgiveness of our sins, and we have it’s full measure the instant we believed.
There is sin in the life of each of us, and we struggle with it. What are we to do with this albatross that hangs around our neck? How can we free ourselves from the stench of it? With such a detestable burden, we are fortunate that God sent His Son Jesus to relieve us of it, but the cost to Himself was enormous. When we look at the passion of Christ do we see the enormity of the effort... the true grace revealed in His suffering?
Are you confident that you are saved? Do you walk towards that moment when you will face judgement without hesitation in your step, or falling to the ground in the midst of an anxiety attack? If we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, then the grace of God will flow through Him, and without our having earned the right to our own salvation we will be saved... not by anything we have done, but simply by our faith in Jesus, and the mercy and grace of God Himself.