May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep. (Hebrews 13:20)
From the original hymn up to the most modern contemporary version, most church goers have sung Jesus Paid It All. It is as powerful “sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow” as it is personal “I stand in Him complete.” This is why we are to understand there is no Plan B. God’s Plan A is the atonement that was made through “the blood of the eternal covenant” demonstrated through the sinless life, sacrificial death, and supernatural resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus did indeed pay it all and when He cried out on the cross, “It is finished!” He meant what He said. Atonement Made . . . Debt Paid . . . Sinner Saved!
Is it not a source of cosmic comfort to know that Jesus paid it all for you and that there is no plan B for you to contribute to? Salvation is not Jesus plus anything. Salvation is simply Jesus alone. Now if you are trying to pay for your salvation through your good works – giving of your time, your talent, your treasure, you are simply not trusting in the finished work of Christ. To be sure, giving of your time, talent, and treasure are good things and demonstrate a changed life in Christ. But those things are the fruit of your salvation, not the root of it. A changed life simply flows from a saved life. Nothing you do adds any value to what Jesus has already done for you.
God will not love you anymore because you do more, and God will not love you any less because you do less. You are completely loved because you are in Christ. By nature, we have a difficult time believing in this truth because we all have been in relationships where either love did not last or that love was performance based. The reason for this is simply because we are broken people living with and loving other broken people. But when it comes to our relationship with Jesus, His love is both unconditional and unwavering.
Remember, your salvation is either all because of Jesus or not because of Jesus at all. You must choose, either plan A, trusting completely in what Jesus has done for you, or plan B, trusting in what you are able to do for Him. In light of Isaiah 64:6 which tells us that even our best works are like “filthy rags” the choice could not be clearer – NO PLAN BE FOR ME!
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 