9 to 5 Salvation
January 1
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works…
Ephesians 2:8, 9
Jimmy couldn’t quite put his finger on the source of his frustration. He felt like he’d done everything he was supposed to, yet there was a sense that the task was incomplete. In fact, that’s how he felt about a lot of spiritual matters lately.
What’s this frustration about, Lord? he silently asked. And into his wonder God spoke…“You are working in your own strength again, Jimmy. You forgot to invite Me in.”
Jimmy had been here before. As a matter of fact he’d lived a lifestyle of setting his own goals; gaining ground for the Kingdom by brute strength and personal wisdom; showing God he was capable…a worthy Christian!
You see, the enemy constantly whispered, “That’s right, Jimmy, if you can’t do it yourself you’re worthless! You have to pull your own weight! You think God intends for you to just rely on His grace? You have to earn the right to be called a Christian!”
Satan had been relentless and persistent, trying to keep Jimmy from hearing God’s encouraging whisper, “All you need to do is rest in my love, Jimmy. You neither have to, nor can you redeem yourself. I’ve taken care of that. Just show up when and where I ask you to, I’ll do the work.”
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Jimmy is not alone. Many Christians suffer from the misconception that salvation is a works-oriented business…a 9 to 5 job, where we can earn our Salvation.
We must come to understand that other than accepting God’s sacrifice of His Son, and then yielding to His guidance, any work we set our mind to should be because we love the Father and want to please Him, not because we must, or can earn a place in His Kingdom.
Ask yourself: Will what I do bring glory to God, or to me? If it’s me, I need to check my motives.
Prayer
“Sometimes it’s hard to lean on You when I feel I’m capable of getting things done, Lord. Forgive my self-sufficient nature and teach me to learn to rely on You and Your strength, instead of my own. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
Inspired by the song, Forgiven and Loved by Christian recording artist, Jimmy Needham.
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