I have heard it said several times this past week – in several ways: “That’s exactly what they deserve.” Or - “I don’t deserve this at all, why is this happening to me?” Or,“I deserve better than this!” This sense of “entitlement” is running ramped through our culture: If I do a then I deserve b.
Even though we FEEL like these statements should be true – it just almost NEVER works out this way. I know people who have worked hard their whole lives, only to be completely dropped and disrespected in the end. I read my Bible this morning – and, can you believe it??? "Bad things" have already happened today! Maybe we don’t DESERVE all these things we thing we do…
Consider our salvation – do we even deserve that? And – if we don’t deserve salvation – why and how do we have it???
This is where the gospel comes in – we are saved “not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace,” (2 Timothy 1:9) To which, my American heart asks Him: “Then, did You just randomly predestine my heart this way, because I haven't earned it - and what about the people who don’t know You, don’t we all deserve a chance to go to Heaven??” - Do we? - Our culture wants to believe we all have a fair shot. As long as we are “good” people, surely we will get to heaven. Even if we don’t follow any specific rules –as long as we try, even in our own way – on our own “faith journey,” we deserve it.
The TRUTH is the opposite - NONE of us deserve to go to Heaven, or to have any sort of relationship with Jesus. We are filthy, and He is clean. We are selfish and sinful, and He is merciful and He is LOVE. We are “but a mist,” while our great God IS and ALWAYS HAS BEEN. He created us, and when we fell, He redeemed us. Praise Him that He loves us when we are unlovely. Praise Him that while we were still sinners, He died on the cross as atonement for our sin.(Romans 5:8)
Our God is “counter-cultural,” He has given us what we DO NOT AND NEVER WILL earn ourselves – redemption through Jesus Christ.
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” – 1 Timothy 1:15
Fill in the blanks for you … (If I read my Bible this morning, I deserve to have a good day. If my co-workers or friends or siblings have something, I deserve it as well. If I work hard enough at something, I deserve a certain reward or recognition....)
Even though we FEEL like these statements should be true – it just almost NEVER works out this way. I know people who have worked hard their whole lives, only to be completely dropped and disrespected in the end. I read my Bible this morning – and, can you believe it??? "Bad things" have already happened today! Maybe we don’t DESERVE all these things we thing we do…
Consider our salvation – do we even deserve that? And – if we don’t deserve salvation – why and how do we have it???
This is where the gospel comes in – we are saved “not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace,” (2 Timothy 1:9) To which, my American heart asks Him: “Then, did You just randomly predestine my heart this way, because I haven't earned it - and what about the people who don’t know You, don’t we all deserve a chance to go to Heaven??” - Do we? - Our culture wants to believe we all have a fair shot. As long as we are “good” people, surely we will get to heaven. Even if we don’t follow any specific rules –as long as we try, even in our own way – on our own “faith journey,” we deserve it.
The TRUTH is the opposite - NONE of us deserve to go to Heaven, or to have any sort of relationship with Jesus. We are filthy, and He is clean. We are selfish and sinful, and He is merciful and He is LOVE. We are “but a mist,” while our great God IS and ALWAYS HAS BEEN. He created us, and when we fell, He redeemed us. Praise Him that He loves us when we are unlovely. Praise Him that while we were still sinners, He died on the cross as atonement for our sin.(Romans 5:8)
Our God is “counter-cultural,” He has given us what we DO NOT AND NEVER WILL earn ourselves – redemption through Jesus Christ.
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” – 1 Timothy 1:15
Love this post. So so sos sooo true!!
ReplyDeletelove your commentary!!
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