Just as God created us to rely on Him for our physical needs, He also created us to rely on Him for spiritual salvation. The truth is this: we cannot save ourselves from our sins and their consequences. Romans 6:23 clearly states that the consequence of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Sin brought spiritual death into our lives; as a result, we became completely separated from God. In fact, because of our sins, we became enemies of God (Romans 5:10). Ephesians 2:4-5 says, "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." Since we were completely spiritually dead, we did not have any means to raise ourselves from the dead. Our good works are not enough to raise us from the death of sin. We can feed the poor, give our money to help others, build cathedrals and churches with our wealth, or sacrifice our lives for others, but they are not enough to raise ourselves from the death of sin.
Our salvation from sin is a gift that can only be received from God. A gift is something that we cannot earn. Many believe that we can earn God's favor or the gift of salvation by being a good person, but this understanding is not biblical. We cannot earn God's favor. We can only be saved from our sins by believing in our Lord Jesus. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." God wants us to rely on Him for our salvation completely. It is only through our faith in our Lord Jesus that we can be saved. We don't have to do good work to be accepted by God. We can come to him just as we are, and as we believe in our Lord Jesus and give our lives to Him, we will immediately receive His forgiveness and salvation. He will immediately begin to change us to be the person that He wants us to be, to make us a new person.
God created us to rely on Him for our physical and spiritual needs. Our salvation is a gift that we can never earn by being a good person. According to the Word of God, we can only receive it by believing in Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) How can I receive my salvation? Do I need to be a good person in order for God to save me? Do I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior?
Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them up to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.
Prayer:
Dear Father in Heaven, Thank you for the gift of salvation. Even though I cannot earn the gift of salvation by being a good person, you sent your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for my sins and rise from the dead on the third day so that by believing in Him, I can receive your gift of salvation. I acknowledge that I can never save myself from my sins. It is only through your sacrificial work that I am saved. With that, I thank, praise, and worship you for saving me. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.
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