I admit I am in over my head. There is nothing I can do on my own to earn or complete this wondrous work of redemption taking place in me. So why do I live contrary to that belief? Why do I so often exhaust myself attempting to attain something freely given?
I know Jesus is the One who has achieved salvation for me. I know it is has been accomplished by the power of His Holy Spirit breathing life on these dry bones and exchanging my hardened heart for one of softness.
I’m awed at the magnitude of Jesus’ death and resurrection; this power and love and forgiveness and grace gifted to me. Still, I want to add my own terms to this covenant, so I live as if the requirement placed on my shoulders is to believe, receive, and achieve it.
Instead of clinging to my freedom in Christ, I allow myself to be pulled back into the arena of accomplishment. I scramble to perform and exhaust myself to, by some means, obtain what can never be mastered apart from Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
God does not have contingency plans in place with this covenant of grace. It is not a human contract; it is an eternal agreement, penned by a loving Father and sealed with my Savior’s blood. Jesus is all that is needed to make it binding.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. He is the one who saves the day every day and carries me through the gates of eternity. He is the Champion who has achieved complete and final victory — the Author and finisher of my faith.
Now and forever, may I live as if I believe it.
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. –Galatians 5:1,NASB
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This post is written in conjunction with https://fiveminutefriday.com/2022/02/03/fmf-writing-prompt-link-up-achieve/ Teaming up with an online group of writers who encourage others to share the words God has given them. The gist is to write for five minutes on a one-word prompt, then post your writing and link up with others who do the same — no overthinking, no deep editing, just free-writing in a short amount of time.
“He is the one who saves the day every day and carries me through the gates of eternity.” Amen to that! So thankful that we don’t have to achieve anything to earn that place. Visiting from FMF!
I love this reminder to rest in the assurance that we do not need to acheive anything to belong to our precious Saviour.
Jesus is and was and for ever will be God’s only contingency plan – there are no others!
Just popped by from FMF #14
I’m in way over my own head
and cannot see the answer
to the knowing I’ll be dead
and the winner will be cancer,
except to write these heartfelt poems,
to speak of joy remaining
as the tumours gnaw my bones
beyond my Marine training.
And so I find I have to lean
upon the Lord my God;
another knowing I do glean
is that He’s kind of awed
that in this hellish endless night
I hold to Him with all my might.
So grateful for His completely free gift of salvation. I’ve accepted it – and there is nothing more that I need to do in order to earn it or keep it. Isn’t that so amazing!!
This is a great reminder of truth. It’s so easy to fall back into thinking there’s something we need to do.