(Please pardon the lack of posts over the last couple of days – we had a death in the family, and I’ve been otherwise occupied. I appreciate your understanding.)

Thank You, Father, for Your hand upon our shoulders as we have traversed great difficulty over the last several days. Only because we have built our lives upon Your rock-solid foundation have we been able to stand. All praise to You!

Matthew 3:7-10 (<<click here to read the passage)

Wow! Reading what John the Baptist had to say to the religious leaders of his day makes me step back a bit. He sure didn’t sugarcoat it. He pretty much laid it all out, and within just a few moments, they knew exactly what he thought about them.

In a past Bible study, we discussed people of “religion,” if you will. Many feel that they have the bases covered because they diligently follow the rules and regulations. Many feel that their eternal destiny is secure because their daddy was a believer and his daddy before him and his daddy before him, etc., etc. But John made it very clear that none of those things proved anything.

As Isaiah proclaimed, “our righteous deeds…are nothing but filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:5-7) Nothing we are, nothing we can say, nothing we can do is worth anything in regard to our standing before God – it is all worthless. The only thing worth anything is when we turn from our way and give ourselves over to God’s way. John also calls to us, “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.” NLT

We cannot earn our salvation by our deeds – that is a gift from God alone – but we must show by our deeds that salvation has taken place.

Lord, I am grateful that You have offered me salvation. It was at great cost to You – your very life. You gave Your life when mine should have been forfeit – my sins should have resulted in my death. But You took my place. Lord… may I “prove by the way [I] live” that I have turned from my sinful ways and turned to You. May my life be living proof of that relationship. Amen.

(Sept 26th, 2017, Tues, 6:47 am)
May 7th, 2024, Tues, 8:07 pm