Monthly Archives: October 2020

To the one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. (Romans 4:5 NASB)

Seems like a strange statement, doesn’t it? You and I were raised in a culture that told us that if you want anything in this life, you have to go out and earn it. Well, there is a work that doesn’t work; knowing that truth brings with it a deep peace that can be found in no other way.

The “work” I am speaking about is the work of salvation. There are millions in the church of Jesus Christ today who are trying to work themselves into God’s good favor. They believe God is keeping score in their lives, and their ultimate goal is to have more points under the heading of “Good deeds” than there are under the “Bad deeds” heading. These men and women have sat under the preaching of a false gospel that essentially says that salvation comes to those who earn it by the spiritual sweat of their own brow. Oh, they acknowledge that Jesus died on the cross for their sins, but their understanding is that Christ made the down payment on their salvation, but they must dutifully keep up with the installment payments.

Listen, we certainly do need to work for what we get in this life. You work a job and you get paid. You exercise and you get fit. You invest in a relationship and it grows. But when it comes to eternal life, there is no amount of work that will gain anything. When Jesus hung on the cross and cried out, “It is finished,” He meant what He said; the work of salvation was completed at Calvary and our sin debt is paid in full.

It is true that we are saved by works, but not by our works. It was the cross work of Christ—His sinless life, His sacrificial death, and His supernatural resurrection—that earned us the right to walk the pathway to Paradise. Our verse for today tells us that God the Father credits (or imputes) the righteousness of God the Son to all who believe the Gospel. This is not a righteousness that we possess within ourselves; rather it is a righteousness that is outside of us and must be credited to us from above. On the cross our sin was imputed to Jesus and His righteousness was imputed to all those who will but trust in His atoning death on their behalf.

Here is the crucial question: In what are you trusting? Do you believe you were saved by grace but must remain in that grace by your good works? Remember, the Scriptures tell us that He who began this good work in us will complete it Himself (Philippians 1:6). What God began He will finish. So instead of trying to work yourself into God’s favor, simply rest in your redemption, and you will experience the peace that passes all understanding, now and forevermore.

Now go to work—not for your gain, but for the glory of His matchless name and the growth of His kingdom!This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

God is love. (1 John 4:16)

There is someone who knows you fully and yet still loves you completely. This One, of course, is our Lord Jesus Christ; read on and be greatly encouraged today!

The term theologians use for God’s all-knowing power is omniscience. God has always, eternally known everything . . . the past, the present, and the future. And that includes your past, your present, and your future. And yet, in knowing you fully, He still loves you completely.

Let’s be honest: Would you really want anyone to know everything you think? Would you want them to know your thoughts in those moments when you are discouraged or angry . . . perhaps when you are struggling with that “secret” sin that you think no one knows about? No? Neither would I. But the glorious good news of the Gospel is that it is that only when we have a sense of just how broken and sinful we really are does the truth of the unwavering, unending love of Christ begin to change our lives.

Think about it this way: God knows your every thought—past, present, and the ones that you will think every day in your future. You may have “secret” thoughts that you keep to yourself, but they are not kept from God. Not only does God know our every thought, He knows every word we utter before we even say it! (If you have any doubts about that, read David’s inspired words in Psalm 139:1-4). God knows what you ate for breakfast today and what you will eat for dinner tonight. He knows where you were last night and where you will be one week from tonight. He knows every aspect of your coming and going, and that includes every part of your life story—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

All that “knowing” should be reason for despair, except for the fact that in spite of being fully known, God still loves us completely. “I have loved you with an everlasting love,” our Lord assures us; “I have drawn you with loving-kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3).

I often speak with people who have a hard time getting over something they did in the past. “I just can’t forgive myself,” they tell me. Listen, we have all done things we really wish we had never even considered, much less done. But through it all, God has never once withheld His unconditional love from us. And here is the best way for you to be convinced of that truth: The next time your past tries to paralyze you from doing what God is calling you to do in the present, picture the cross. Jesus hung on that cross and died for your sins because He loves you. He has always loved you!

Do you know this truth? I am not asking if you know it intellectually; I am asking if you know it deep down in your heart in a way that transforms the way you see yourself and live your life. Remember, before their terrible fall in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were naked before God and before each other, and they were unashamed. When Jesus shows up in your life and covers every sin—past, present, and those still to come—with His precious blood, you are to experience that incredible feeling of being naked and unashamed, because you are fully known and still completely loved. This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!