Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT, “8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Saved by His grace! There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. It is a free gift that has been given to us by God through Jesus Christ. It can be difficult for our human minds to comprehend the idea of something so precious being free. However, our debt has been paid, and all we have to do to receive it, is confess and believe (Romans 10:9).
Photo by: Patricia McCarty
There have been many times in my life that I have struggled to forgive myself for my sins. I go back and forth with myself, wondering how I could have failed so miserably. But Jesus paid our debts in full. No amount of guilt, shame, or unforgiveness against ourselves will take away our sins. Only His blood can wash away our sins.
Just receive what Jesus has freely given. It’s feels good to know that long before we even existed, God had good things planned for us. He has always had us on His mind and in His heart. He desires for us to live an abundant life filled with His goodness and mercy.
Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ”
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It seems that lately I’ve had many conversations with other Christians about the condition of the world and the church in particular. I believe most Christians would agree that staying true to your faith in Jesus takes effort. It doesn’t come naturally. We have to be willing to trust God and surrender our lives to Him. If you stop to think about it, it also takes effort to pursue the ways of the world. It’s just that the ways of the world are more popular, so it seems more enticing. However, destruction will eventually follow, because sin when full grown leads to death.
James 1:14-15 NIV, “but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
But following Jesus leads to life…
John 14:6 NIV, ”Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
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Surrendering to Jesus starts with a decision, but then that decision has to be walked out day by day. Even when the road gets rough, we still have a choice to surrender our all to our Lord. The race we are running for Jesus Christ requires our devotion to Him. We have to learn to obey Him (even in the little things) and make Him a priority in our daily lives.
We also have to accept the fact that to follow Him, we will not always have the approval of people. Sadly even other Christians will at times try to hold us back from closely following Jesus, most likely so they can stay lukewarm or be comfortable in some type of unconfessed sin. There is always that constant tugging upon our hearts to leave our True Love behind and go our own way. But His way is greater. His way is truth. His way satisfies.
Psalm 145:16 NIV, ”You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”
Photo by: Ravsanjani Gusma
Keep running your race for Jesus. Don’t allow the enemy or people to deter you. Stay focused on the One who will never leave you nor forsake you. The Holy Spirit will empower you. Let the reality of His love carry you through the ups and downs of life. Let His peace be your comfort when people try to harm you. Trust God to bring justice in any and every situation you face. He will fight for you.
We explained to her that we had met Jerry through the singles ministry at church. She seemed astonished and became very inquisitive about His church attendance. She didn’t waste anytime asking us if we knew rather or not her Uncle had become a Christian. So we begin to share with her how Jerry had accepted Jesus as his Savior, and had become a faithful member of the singles ministry. The look on her face was priceless. I remember hearing her inhale in surprise.
It was such a thrill for me and the other group leader to be able to share the good news about Jerry with her. Although we hadn’t known Jerry very long, being able to assure her that he had chosen to give his heart to Jesus brought us so much joy.
She briefly looked around the room. Then she showed us the small Bible that she had in her hand. She said she knew that many of the family members were unsaved, and that she had asked the Lord for a chance to share His Word with them. She opened the little Bible and showed us several of the scriptures that she had highlighted. We exchanged a few more words with her, before she moved on to speak to others in the crowd.
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I glanced over at my friend Jerry and admired the gold cross that he was holding in his hand. Although his old physical body was lying there lifeless in the casket, I knew for certain that he was now in the presence of the Lord, with his new heavenly body. No more pain, no more hurt, and no more divorce.
I’m thankful the Lord allowed us to be standing in the right place at the right time so that we could meet Jerry’s niece. I was delighted to be a part of a moment that was so special to her…finding out about her Uncle’s new life in Jesus Christ. Jerry lost something valuable when his marriage dissolved, but he found something priceless, when he gained eternal life through Jesus.
Some people say there are many ways to God, but Jesus said this and I believe Him…
John 14:6 NIV, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
There is nothing that is too hard for God. He knows exactly what we need and when we need it. He knew what Jerry needed. He’s knows what you and I need. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
John 14:6 NLT, “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
During my eleven years in Michigan, I attended two different churches. The first church I attended for about eight years. For two of those years, I had the privilege to serve as a group leader in the Singles Ministry. This particular Singles Ministry was for ages thirty and up. As group leaders, we were responsible for helping to facilitate the Sunday morning discussions. Proverbs 2:8 was our theme scripture. Our ministry was called, “One Way Singles Ministry”, since Jesus is the One Way.
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Proverbs 2:8 NIV, “for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.”
I’ll never forget one man who was part of our ministry. His name was Jerry, and he was 70 years old. He was actually the oldest member of our ministry. Jerry had not been a Christian for the majority of his life, but he had come to know the Lord through the pain and hurt of divorce. His wife of fifty years, had left him for her high school sweetheart.
It was always hard to understand how something like this could happen, but Jerry had so much joy in his heart. Whenever you spoke to him, you could sense the love he had for the Lord. He would share how empty his life was before he came to know Jesus.
Jerry became terminally ill, and I still remember the last conversation I had with him about two weeks before he passed away. He asked me how I was doing, and he had so much concern and compassion. I could feel how genuine his spirit was.
The day before Jerry’s funeral, I attended the viewing at the funeral home, along with one of my fellow group leaders. While we were there, standing near the casket, a woman came in and told us she was Jerry’s niece. She seemed very anxious and begin to explain to us that she had not seen her Uncle Jerry in quite awhile. She had just found out about his death the day before.
Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV, “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
I remember the days when although I was a Christian, I was not following the Lord closely. I was in church most Sundays, listening to the sermon and singing songs just like everyone else. However, the rest of the week, I lived like I wanted to, with little or no regard for the Lord and His ways.
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When I think of His past faithfulness to me, in spite of me, my heart rejoices. I’m thankful that God was patient and kind with me as I learned what it truly meant to be committed to Jesus. It does take time to grow in the ways of the Lord, and growing in Him is something that we should always be striving to do throughout our time here on Earth. If we don’t seek Him, we won’t find Him.
Looking back and seeing how God has kept us and used the things in our lives, both good and bad, to draw us closer to Himself, is a way of understanding His eternal love for us. The things we go through may not always make sense at the time, but I’m glad He never forsakes us, and has mercy on us through it all.
John 8:36 NLT, “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”
I awaken this morning reminded of what a privilege it is that we can lay our burdens at the foot of the cross. There is rest in Jesus. He takes care of us and will provide all we need. Thinking about His goodness makes me smile. His love brings hope, even in the situations that seem the most hopeless.
There is freedom in Jesus. Freedom from the grasp of sin and shame. Freedom from hurt and pain. Freedom from the lies of the enemy. In Jesus we have freedom to be all that we were created to be. We are free to walk in His truth and light. We are free to say no to the wicked ways of the world.
We are free to be confident in who He is and who we are in Him. The cross where He suffered and died represents freedom. In Him we have abundant life that far surpasses anything the world could ever offer us.
Photo by: Aaron Burden
My favorite hymn is called, “At The Cross” by Isaac Watts.
A few of the words are….“At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away. It was there by faith, I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day.”
Be blessed and have a wonderful Sunday. In Jesus Christ you are free!
1 John 4:4 NIV, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
The Holy Spirit who lives within us is greater than any opposition that tries to come against us. We can look to Him to give us the strength we need to overcome the obstacles that we must face. He will empower us to victoriously live for Jesus and follow the plan God has for us. He will give us eyes to see beyond the difficulties that attempt to hinder our progress for the Lord, so that we can stay focused on God’s greater purpose.
As you go throughout your day, remember that the Holy Spirit who lives inside of you is greater than the enemy who tries to steal your peace. God’s light always shines through the darkness, and He is with you every step of the way.
Drawing Closer to Christ 