When I was first convicted of sin, I desperately sought a path for atonement and a way to make-up for my transgressions. At the time, I knew enough about Jesus Christ to know that I was in violation of God's laws, but I didn’t know how to apply this newfound realization.
It was a long journey with many wrong turns before I realized there was nothing I could do; no recitation of prayers, no kind deeds, no good behavior, and no confessions to mortal men. The weight of salvation did not rest on me or any of my perceived acts of righteousness.
In Acts 16:30, the Philippian jailer asks Paul and Silas, “…what must I do to be saved?”. They answer, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ…”. (vs. 31)
When I believed, the Lord led me through a series of trials to show me that in all of my “goodness,” I was still filled with sin, pride, and corruption. There was nothing inherently righteous about me and I was not suddenly made “good” simply because I believed.
For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
-Ecclesiastes 7:20
The Lord broke my heart, my pride, and my will until I was made to yield to His majesty, and it was all done for His glory. Now I pray that I am made to yield more each day.
God’s saving grace is not dependent on anything we’ve done. If it were, there’d be many questions about the status of our salvation. Instead, we have the assurance that our righteousness is in Jesus Christ alone.
Salvation belongeth unto the LORD -Psalms 3:8
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
-1 John 1:9
Image Credit: Mahdi Rezaei via Unsplash
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