If general revelation cannot offer salvation, what can? Paul lays it out in today's reading. Salvation comes not by keeping the Law but by faith in God and His Son. Paul uses Abraham as an example, as his faith was credited to him as righteousness. Abraham believed God when he was asked to pack up and move to a land he'd never seen before (Canaan). And he believed God when He said He'd make Abraham into a great nation with numerous descendants, even though he was then a childless old man. And he believed God when he was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac on an altar. He was willing to go through with it because he reasoned that God could bring him back from the dead. All of these things showed Abraham's faith. As Paul said, "he was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises".
Abraham was not made right with God by his observance of the Law. Did you realize that chronologically, Abraham lived before the Law was even given? His example illustrates the faith-based relationship as opposed to works-based religion. Every religion besides Christianity requires adherance to certain practices to earn salvation. Christianity requires only trust in God's promise of salvation in Jesus. As with Abraham, He wants us to believe His promises, and He has told us that salvation is ours just by believing in the One sent to offer it!
If you have been thinking that you could earn salvation by being "good enough" or serving enough or attending church often enough or putting enough money in the offering plate, you are not in right standing with God. You are trying to fit a square peg (works-based religion) into a round hole (faith-based relationship)! Good works will be an outpouring of our love and trust in God and his Son, as "faith without works is dead". This means that a Christian who bears no fruit is probably not a Christian at all. Conversely, works without faith is also dead. Remember the verse from Matthew 7 where Jesus cautioned, "on judgement day, many will say to me 'Lord, Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name', but I will reply 'I never knew you...'". Regardless of the number of good things we do, if Jesus does not "know" us (if he does not have our hearts), we do not spend eternity with Him.
Tomorrow's reading: Rom. 5:1-8:17
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That Matthew 7 verse is really convicting---makes me want to be sure my heart is His and that I'm not just doing good things with wrong motives. Like you said, the deeds are an overflow of the heart, not the way to earn God's love or favor.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Melissa. Can't believe we only have a little over a month left and we'll be done. This blog and reading together has been a great blessing to me this year and has helped me stay on track to accomplish the through-the-Bible-in-a-year goal. Thanks so much for your availability to be used by Jesus.