God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT)
The basic fundamentals of baseball include catching, throwing, hitting (batting), and running. All four skills are necessary for success. All four must be practiced regularly. A player must remember to use their fundamentals in every single game.
What about Jesus-followers? What are the basic fundamentals we need to remember?
Jesus is the ONLY way anyone can be saved.
It’s NOT our good works that save us, and it’s NOT what Jesus did PLUS our good works that saves us.
Our works are only the result of our faith in Jesus; the One who has given us new life through His life, death, and resurrection.
Yes! There is work to be done. In fact, God planned for us to do good things long ago, but we can only accomplish those good works AFTER we have been made new in Jesus.
Warning! Our enemy would like nothing better than to deceive us into thinking we deserve what Jesus did for us; he knows this will make us complacent in our faith and lukewarm in our love.
So how do we combat complacency? We never let ourselves forget who Jesus is or what He has done for us. He is God in the flesh. He lived thirty years without sin, but willingly died on a Roman cross to pay the debt we owed for our sins. That’s right! He took our sins as His own. Then, in exchange for our sins, He gave us forgiveness, a new life, and His Holy Spirit to help us live in His freedom.
Remembering who Jesus is and what He has done for us will replace our complacency with faithful love.
Have you admitted your sin, confessed your sin, and received the forgiveness that is yours in Jesus? Jesus said those who are forgiven much will love much.
Jesus also said those who love Him will obey His commands. What are His commands? To love as He loved us, forgive as He has forgiven us, and to tell everyone about Him and how they too can become His followers.
Telling also helps us remember. Telling keeps us from becoming complacent in our faith!
One more thing, our good works do NOT secure our salvation.
Our salvation is already secure! We know this because Jesus said it is so. No one can earn their own salvation and no one who is in Jesus can be taken from Him. Jesus is NOT a liar; He is who He says He is and He always does what He says He will do!
This Week…
1 Read your Bible every day. Don’t get hung up on how much you’re reading. Just ask Holy Spirit to help you understand what you read and how it applies to your life.
2 Talk to Jesus every day. Be sure to tell Him one thing You admire about Him and one thing you are thankful He’s given you. Be intentional as you look for Him, so you can admire Him and thank Him for something new each day.
3 Tell someone you love Jesus and why.
Digging Deeper:
Matthew 28:19-20, John 1:1-14, John 14:6, 15, 23-26, Act 4:11-12, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9-15, Galatians 3:1-4:7, Ephesians 2:1-10, Colossians 3:13, 1 John 1:9
If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.