It’s Not Enough Part 3

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The next question in this series to address is what God expects from us in response to what He has revealed. In other words, what does it take in order for us to be in right standing with God. Particularly, what does the Bible say about this subject?

This is the place where Christianity is very different from any other religion. Our path to redemption is not about our own works in order to obtain good standing. The pathway is in belief. Jeff Wells in The Core of the Gospel writes, “It’s not the work of man for God. It is the work of God for man. Every religion in the world is spelled D-O, focusing on what we do to earn our salvation, but not the gospel. The gospel is spelled D-O-N-E. It’s about what Christ has done to save us.” We don’t deserve it, we can’t buy it with money, and we can’t obtain it by aesthetic values. We all fall short and cannot be right with God in our own  actions.

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Salvation is a free gift. The only thing a person can do with a gift is to accept it. Which thankfully is not very hard to do. Probably the most quoted verse in the Bible is John 3:16 which states “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Verse 17 is not as well known, but is important for us to see in this redemption plan. It says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

So our righteousness and hope is based on what Jesus has already accomplished on our behalf. This brings to us a humble confidence that cannot be taken away. Tim Keller in his Reason for God book explains, “The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself.”

The value of understanding all of this is priceless. It completely changes and renews us on the inside. This is the core of the gospel. This is the good news. This firm foundation is unmovable. Our hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.