SAVED BY HIS GRACE

“For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.”  2 Timothy 1:9 NLT

       Sin is something that goes against God’s moral code or Law.  Until Christ came there was no removal of one’s sins, just a covering over of it.  In the Old Testament the blood of sacrificial animals provided a veil over the sins of God’s people so that He could no longer see them and thus hold it against them. It’s symbolic in nature.  Of course God was still very aware of their sin, yet He chose not to hold it against them at that time because of the blood shed.  God’s forgiveness was designed to bring about a change in the character of the forgiven sinner.  If they sinned there was next year to offer another sacrifice for their new sins.  It was an endless cycle.

       When God came in the flesh in the form of His Son Jesus Christ He provided a permanent cleansing of sin for all who would receive it.  It was done once for all time.  No more would the guilty party have to bring a new sacrifice each year for their sins.  This was God administering His undeserved favor to all men.  That is the pure, unadulterated definition of His grace.

       God has called us to live by a prescribed set of moral and ethical standards that He has laid out in His word. This is what He asks of us in exchange for the complete and everlasting forgiveness of all our sins.  We can ignore His call to holiness.  We can take His forgiveness and run or we can realize our calling to be His ambassadors in a cold, lonely, sinful, dying world that needs a savior.  We have been forgiven of every ungodly thing we’ve ever done.  How can we not live for the One true God who freed us from our own selfish ways?  Pick up the mantel and stand like a flint in the face of all that is unholy in this world and proclaim the glory of God.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!