Recognizing the gift of your salvation

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For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10   Let’s suppose out of the blue one day, someone gave you the keys to a brand new car. Now this isn’t just any car, it’s a brand new red sports car with leather seats and every amenity you could imagine. So you reach into your pocket and say, “Let me help you pay for this.” And you pull out a dime, lay it on the table, and say, “There you go.” Then, you get into your car and begin driving down the road, when someone pulls up next to you and says, “Nice car!” To which you reply, “Thanks. I paid for it myself!” Now that’s ludicrous, of course. But it’s not nearly as ludicrous as thinking that somehow the gift of salvation is purchased by anything that you or I could do. Your works make absolutely no difference in terms of your eternal salvation. When you stand before God, you’re not going to say, “Look what I did! I made it!” Salvation is the work of Christ alone. Yes, you and I do good works in response to this gift, but it never adds to the amount of salvation we have. So remember that neither your good works nor your bad ones can impact your status in Christ. If you’ve trusted Him, you’re His forever! SALVATION ISN’T ACHIEVED BY ANYTHING YOU CAN DO. IT’S ONLY WHAT CHRIST CAN DO. SO REMEMBER THAT IF YOU’VE TRULY TRUSTED HIM, YOU’RE HIS FOREVER! Spreading the Word to the World by Dr. Paul Chappell “And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.” Luke 4:42–44 The people in Capernaum would have been delighted for Jesus to stay with them. In fact, they begged Him not to leave when it was time for Him to go. They realized that they had benefited greatly by His presence. Yet even at the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus made it clear that the priority of His life and work would be to reach as many people as possible with the gospel. Jesus recognized that He had been given this mission by His Father and as a result, He planned His life around what God had in mind for Him to do: “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him” (John 8:29). What was true of Jesus should be true of us as well. We should plan and shape our lives around what matters to God rather than what matters to us. And nothing is more central to God’s purpose and will for our lives than telling others about salvation in Jesus Christ. When the Jewish rulers called the disciples before them to try to make them stop preaching about Jesus, they had to admit the effectiveness of God’s people carrying out God’s plan. “Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine…” (Acts 5:28). Today’s Growth Principle:  God’s plan to reach the world has not changed—it is still for His children to proclaim the gospel to everyone and to follow His will rather than our own.