“Every last one of us has a natural propensity toward works righteousness. All of us desire to save ourselves. We love Jesus, and we’re grateful to Jesus for dying on the cross for us… and that was real cool… thank you, Jesus. However, what we really want to do is; we want to find some things that the bible tells us to do and we want to do it either out of fear or pride. If it’s out of fear, we’re going: “see God, I did this… did you see that? I really hope it’s good enough for you… I really do.” That’s the kind of person where every negative thing in life that happens to you, you’re sure it’s because you weren’t good enough. Let me just put a footnote here… something goes wrong in your life and you immediately start going and looking for what you did wrong to deserve it? Here’s the problem with that kind of thinking: that means that you actually think that you were worthy of the goodness that you received before. Help you if you think that! So if it’s not out of fear then it’s out of pride, and here’s the pride part: pride says: “I went to the bible, I found what I needed to do, and I did it.” So you can come into heaven, walk through the gates and say “I am pleased that Christ died on the cross for me. Here are the works that I have added to make His sacrifice sufficient.” - Voddie Baucom
thoughts?
4 comments:
Hmm...Funny thing is that I believe our faith, especially in my case as of this moment, drives us with a desire to do great things in the name of Christ Jesus. Granted this recognition or consciousness to the reality of the the Holy Spirit working in our lives can be thwarted, pushed aside...what have you... out of fear or pride. But as for those "works", the prideful and fearful works I do not believe are the power and strength of God, only the workings of us. Imagine if the passion or desire were so great that God put on your heart that you actually moved when He spoke to you. Now that is works in an involuntary action to your faith...that is God moving... How do we get there? How do we know? Has this happened? Will it happen? Maybe we should stop asking questions (I know I should) and maybe we should just move and listen...
THAT is a fantastic way of articulating what saved by grace is all about!
Can I use that on our blog?
i think the important point he is trying to make here is that we do not receive salvation at all because we DESERVE it or because we DID anything meriting eternal life.
i think it's basically what came first? we did not do good things to earn salvation...we received salvation and then started doing good things...hopefully out of gratitude and longing to share with others instead of trying to merit what we've already been given.
and of course caleb, you can use this!! :)
Post a Comment