Did you ever think you were too bad for God to save? That’s actually a good place to be because you are now ready to receive the grace of God. Last time we talked about the scandal of grace. To receive unmerited favor, getting something you do not deserve, defies human logic. However we can not apply human logic to heavenly love. The chorus from a Rhett Walker Band song titled “Brother†sums up grace nicely:
Brother don’t you know
No one’s too high to fall
No one’s strong enough to make their own way
Brother don’t you know
We’re all just beggars and thieves
In need of the very same grace
The very same grace
We need the sentence of grace. We need to understand that we are guilty in the eyes of Almighty God. We are indeed too bad for God to save. That is why He made a way. But it is God’s holiness that sentences us to death and His love that saves us to life:
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“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.†(Romans 6:23)
You may be thinking that the grace of God may come up short to pay your sin debt. Understandable, but again you’re applying human wisdom. The Word of God tells us otherwise:
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“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.†(1 Timothy 1:12-15)
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.†That leads us to the salvation of grace. It is grace, and grace alone that saves. The only part you can play in your salvation is to believe in the grace of God. In other words, you must have faith in the gift of God alone to save you:
It is important to understand that Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient to save you. Why? Because of what it cost Him; it cost Him everything:
Once we understand that grace sentences us and then saves us, we can embrace the truth of the security of grace. We can never lose our salvation, not if our conversion was Biblical. The old saying “Once saved, always saved,†is true because of the work of Christ, not because of our tenacity of faith. There are many days that I do not feel saved or like a Christian. That is why I rely on God’s Word to bring me security:
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“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.†(John 10:28-29)
Life today can be unsure; government can be unnerving; however, God is unmovable. I know this because the Bible tells me so:
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“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’†(Hebrews 13:5-6)
The writer of Hebrews reached back into his Bible to retrieve the promises of God. That is what we must do in times of insecurity.
So what about you friend. Do you need grace? After all, “we’re all just beggars and thieves in need of the very same grace.â€
That’s you and that’s me.
We all need the very same grace.
I pray you will trust Jesus today that His grace is sufficient for you.
In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4
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Copyright © 2013 David Jeffers
Tags
Aletheia, Apologetics, Bible, Christianity, Evangelism, Faith, Forgiveness, Grace, Guilt, Hope, Joy, Mercy, Morality, Prayer, Revival, Sin, Truth, Wisdom