“There is
therefore now NO condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1
“By grace you
have been saved through faith, not through works, it is the gift of
God so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
The thought shocks
me every time. God has saved my life from eternal damnation. He
continues to save me everyday. I do not deserve it. I will never
deserve it. I will never be beyond the need of it. I deserve
punishment—eternal punishment, eternal hell. Every day. As I
stumble back to my petty idols again and again, as I choose to spend
my time with simple trinkets and mindless pastimes instead of
spending my time getting to know the glorious, beautiful, holy God
who WANTS to be with me through his Word and prayer that I am
reminded of it.
Is it really
surprising that unbelievers do not understand? Isn't it reasonable
that even Christians want to water the glorious truth down to faith
plus works? God's grace and mercy (the good news of the
gospel) are so big, like the a blue giant star compared to the moon,
that even as I write this I can only grasp glimpses of it in my mind.
The moon is something our finite minds can comprehend, the size of
Betelgeuse we cannot. God saves me because of his great love,
grace, mercy, holiness, wisdom, righteousness, goodness and perfect
plan—not because of a few feeble good works I may do or a few
praises that I remember to say. For even those works are mixed with
self-righteousness and attempts at self-glory. Not that He is not
pleased with these things, for I believe He is.
The promises of a
peaceful life from other religions and beliefs are dollar store
trinkets compared to holiness, righteousness, goodness and the glory
of God. We receive holiness, we receive truth, we receive goodness
and righteousness, we will understand true justice and mercy and
grace, we will know true love; we will be like Jesus—like God. Can
gold or temporal contentment or even an earth without sin compare to
these things?
Jesus, the Son of
God, God Himself, came to earth as a helpless babe, lived the perfect
life and willingly died on the cross while suffering the wrath and
punishment of God His own Father. He arose from the dead overcoming
death, sin and the curse. He will return again to bring us to be with
Him and bring forth a new heaven and a new earth without the curse.
We were hopeless in unrighteousness and sin, but God has made a way
for us to be free by His own hand. Not because I am worth it, not
because I can do anything, but because of His goodness. Amen.
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
- Ephesians 1:2-14
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