Daily Devotional

Having been a Christian for many many years, it always does me well to come back to some of the fundamentals of the faith. Pastor Jim often speaks of the basic tenets we know as salvation in Christ alone by grace alone through faith alone to the glory of God alone. It is both important and comforting to know how simple our faith really is, but how important that we remember whom that salvation comes through. As humans I think we easily fall into the trap of being saved by our own works. Now you might be thinking “I know I am saved through Christ, and not of anything I have done.” And you would be correct, but have you ever started to think that your sin, the little things in your life that you do against God condemn you? Isn’t this in some ways the same thing in the other direction?

Let me explain my thinking here. When we begin to doubt our salvation because of what we have done, is that not the same as believing we are saved because of what we have done? The devil likes to play tricks with us, and lie to us, and convince us we are not good enough, that we haven’t done enough to be a child of God. And well, he’s right! We are not good enough, and we never could be good enough, but that is why God sent His Son. The Law showed us that we could never be righteous on our own, so our salvation is not up to us. Ephesians 1:4 says “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…” We are His, because He chose us and we get to respond to that. Take heart knowing that your salvation is secure even though your sanctification is a process that will never be complete until He takes you home. Jesus said in John 10:29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”

We have a salvation that is secure in Christ Jesus, by grace alone, through faith alone, to the glory of God alone. Don’t let your sin weigh you down. Confess it, repent of it, and rejoice that Christ has forgiven you for it. There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. Romans 10:9 says “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” And in verse 13 “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

I know I thank God that my salvation does not depend on me, for if it did, I would be condemned for eternity. Praise be to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His infinite mercy and grace.

New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.