Free Salvation
Free, but not cheap!
Your salvation is a gift freely given and received from God, but it is not cheap. It is the most expensive gift you will ever receive.
God comes and offers us free salvation. But He does not change His standard. He remains a righteous and holy God.
How could it be possible that Jesus Christ could die as a substitute for my penalty as a sinner? It is because He is the infinite God, not a sinful man, that He could die for an infinite number of sinners. Because He is God He could pay the eternal punishment for all of our sins.
Second Corinthians 5:21 tells us it was not enough that He should only die and pay the penalty of our sins, but that His perfect righteousness would be counted in God’s eyes as our righteousness. All of the pure righteousness of Jesus Christ is now available through Him to the believing sinner.
Based upon the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, God can now come and offer the great invitation to all sinners to come and join Him in heaven.
How do I know that this is absolute truth? Look at the empty tomb! Christ is alive! The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the proof that God is eternally satisfied with the sacrifice of His Son on the cross.
Now you and I can take the righteousness of God and go boldly or trembling to the scales of justice and put it over against all the perfection God has demanded and that He must demand. The balance is immediately made. The Christian believer stands before God justified. God can never have anything against you and me forever.
You are justified when you trust in that perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, rather than in your own self-righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). You will never be justified in the eyes of God if you cling to your own good works.
We can sing with great profound theology: “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling.” We are justified by faith alone, through grace alone, in Jesus Christ alone.
However, we are not justified by a faith that is alone. Therefore, if you really go to that cross, believing in the saving work of Christ, you will be abounding in the works of the Lord.
If our salvation is received as a free gift someone had to pay for it. Since you and I did not, who did?
The apostle Paul tells us that Jesus Christ redeemed us, not with perishable things like silver and gold, but “with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Pet. 1:19).
Our salvation is an expensive gift which we do not deserve and cannot merit! We were “redeemed” meaning to release, to purchase a release by a ransom, to deliver by the payment of a price. Our spiritual freedom was purchased with the great payment of the blood of Jesus Christ. Thus, the grace that saves us is not cheap.
How to Find God in Your Fears
The great American preacher H.A. Ironside was one day down on his hands and knees playing with his young son. He started to pretend he was a bear, and growled loudly at the little boy. His son became afraid, and went running up to his dad and said, “You’re not a bear; you’re my papa!”
Many times in our lives, the very things we fear are acts of God Himself. These are things that perhaps God has brought into our lives so that we can run to Him… to find our strength in Him, relish His love, and experience His awesome grace.
When the disciples of Jesus thought their boat was about to capsize on the Sea of Galilee during the storm, they looked out and they thought they saw a ghost. Needless to say, they had many reasons to be afraid. But what they saw was Jesus… God in the midst of the storm!
A Prayer for a Full Life of Faith
“I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12, NIV).
God’s power, provision, and purposes are for “whosoever will” (Mark 8:34 KJV). Will what? Will let go of all that holds you back from experiencing the abundant life of the adventurous faith and take hold of truth that makes it so.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
The Cure For Sin
(2 Corinthians 5:21)
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
What about our present sins? Hebrews 12:1b-2a says that we should strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up and that we should run with endurance the race God has set before us.
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Friend don’t tell God you have a big sin problem, tell the sin problem that you have a big God. Think about life, think about Jesus, and keep your eyes on Him.
Taking the Hit
People hate to defer pleasure; we are creatures of the moment because we are creatures of the flesh. And the flesh knows only one space-time continuum—here, now: Yet if I have a certainty of a future payout, a promise that the cavalry is coming, a definite delivery date of the dream, I can endure a great deal. For God’s dream to be realized in your life, the training is more about endurance than quickness. We are called to endure a great deal and sacrifice experiences, moments, and seasons for a payout that may not come in this life, why, because endurance through sacrifice is the character and expression of Jesus.
The pig and the chicken were on their way to breakfast trying to decide what they wanted to have. The chicken said “Let’s have some ham and eggs. The pig said, well that’s fine for you, it’s a small donation on your part but it’s a total sacrifice on my part. The point of that little joke is donation without sacrifice is not significant. Henry Lord Beecher said, “It’s not what we take up, it’s what we give up that makes us rich” and in the words of an old Negro Spiritual, “This world is not my home I’m just a passing through, If heavens not my home then Lord what will I do. “
How to Face Your Fears with Faith
Fear is as pervasive in our culture as breathing. We who live today are arguably safer than anyone who has ever lived in history. Yet whenever we seem to eradicate one problem, our minds will simply jump to the next one.
This is because fear is inevitable. But as believers, we can choose whether we will fear the right things or the wrong things. As today’s verse tells us, “perfect love casts out fear.” But as we read Proverbs 9:10, we also see that the “fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.”
Fear is good when it’s a healthy respect for something that is bigger than you. But when your fear is focused on things that really have no power over you, then your fear is actually idolatry, because you’re ascribing power to something that’s powerless.
Don’t fear things that are powerless. Instead, have a healthy, fearful respect for God, who is bigger than everything and empowers you to overcome any fear you face!
Strategies for Building a Quiet Time with God
1. Make a covenant. Commit to God that you’ll spend at least some time with him every day of your life, even if it’s just two minutes — not because everyone else is doing it, but because you want to spend time with Jesus. Put your commitment in writing.
2. Put it in your weekly schedule. Put it on your computer, your phone, or wherever you keep your schedule. Block out in advance a time to meet with God every day, just as you would a doctor’s appointment, a business lunch, or a meeting with your boss.
3. Be prepared for the attacks of the Devil. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.The devil will do whatever he can to keep you away from your time with God. Be on your guard and prepared for the attacks.
5. Depend on God-power, not willpower. You can only succeed by the power of God’s Spirit. Ask God to strengthen you and give you the mind of Christ, so you’ll depend on him to help you develop this habit. If you just depend on willpower, you don’t have any hope to stay consistent.
Alone Time
Frequently in the Bible, Jesus spent time alone with His Father. He knew that He needed that uninterrupted time alone in prayer and fellowship. If Jesus needed time alone with God, how much more do we? The Lord promises that in His presence is fullness of joy. Having experienced that joy, we long for quality time alone with Him. Once we have tasted of the Lord, we know that nothing else tastes as sweet.
Seeking Guidance
Expressions of Praise
I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.Glorifying the Lord is not limited to worshipping in church. In fact, praise ought to permeate the believer’s life. (Psalm 34:1-3)
Genuine worship allows the Lord to fill our hearts and minds with His presence. But praising the Lord with wrong motives is an empty act. For example, if we’re lifting our hands and singing loud only because doing so feels good, then what we’re after is an emotional high. That kind of selfish “praise” falls far short of heaven.
Our God is praised when we serve Him. People are created for the purpose of bringing glory and honor to His name. Therefore, nothing should limit our willingness to work for the King, particularly when we have a chance to share Him with others. Christ is honored when His followers speak boldly about His grace and His work—believers’ testimonies are an amazing form of praise that magnifies God’s name.