Salvation: Grace, Faith, Works

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9, NKJV).

Understanding grace, faith, and works can be challenging. However, studying such concepts can bring great rewards. We can develop a healthier and more accurate understanding of God and ourselves.

First, we need to understand that we have been saved by grace. Jesus Christ took the punishment for our sins because God loved us. We had done nothing worthy of Christ's sacrifice. It was his gift to us. Without it, although God loved us, his anger could not have been averted. We were facing hell. We could not buy our way out of it. We could not resist enough temptations to avoid it. We could not commit enough random acts of kindness to make up for the failures already committed. We had spit in the face of the most righteous and powerful being in existence. We had no hope of reconciliation. That is what makes God's grace so amazing. He was willing to forgive us, not because we deserved it, but because Jesus was willing to stand in our place and suffer for us. That's what God's grace is all about.

Then we need to understand the faith through which we have been saved. In this context, faith is not merely believing facts. It's that and much more. Faith is trusting in and depending on Jesus Christ to save us. We believe the facts concerning Christ's identity as the sinless Son of God, his death in our place on the cross, his resurrection by the power of a pleased Father, his ascension into heaven, his sending of the Holy Spirit to live within his people, and his promised return in triumph over his enemies. However, the faith through which we are saved moves beyond believing facts to placing our confidence in the one those facts describe. It is a confidence in Christ that leads us to follow him alone, because we realize that we cannot be confident in ourselves. We have found ourselves lacking, but Jesus completely adequate. Our faith is placed in him.

Finally, we need to understand that our works do not cause God to save us. Our salvation is God's gift. We have no reason to brag. He has never been impressed with any effort to impress him. Naturally, an appreciation of God's grace and a trust in Jesus Christ will lead to God-honoring actions, but they are not the basis of our salvation. He wants our trust before he wants even one good work. He knows that a good work without trust is empty showmanship, but that humble, grace-inspired trust will produce a life full of good works, an artistic masterpiece created by God himself. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10, NKJV).

Baptism: The Sinner's Prayer

Yesterday, I picked up a small religious tract at a local business. At the end of the tract, I read this version of the sinner's prayer:

"Dear God, I know it's true---I've been lost in sin, wandering further and further from You. Please forgive me. I do believe that Jesus died to take my punishment and keep me from being forever lost. Help me to live my life on this earth with hope and faith and courage, as I look forward to the day You take me home to be with You! Amen."

I love the attitude of humility, the exaltation of Jesus, and the dependence upon God expressed in that short prayer. It reminds me of the apostle Peter's words about baptism:

"Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you---not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience---through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:21, NASB).

When a sinner is baptized with an attitude of humility, exalting Jesus, and depending upon God, his baptism becomes his prayer---"an appeal to God for a good conscience"(NASB) and "the pledge of a good conscience toward God"(NIV). It becomes a powerful, life-changing moment in his relationship with God. It becomes the sinner's prayer.

Important and Useful Information

In the latest edition of the Christian Chronicle, I read an inspiring article about Dean and Sherry Adams, a couple who serve a small Church of Christ in Dickinson, North Dakota. They have been incredible assets to the network of Churches of Christ in that state for the last 30 years. Now they are facing a difficult time in paying the medical bills for their children who were born with hypogammaglobulinemia, a genetic disorder which hampers their bodies' abilities to fight infection. They have had a small, but very significant, ministry which has honored Jesus Christ for decades. Now they could use our help. If you would like to learn more about the Adams family, please go to http://natepercell.com/helptheadams. Please consider sending a little (or a lot of) money to help a family that has helped so many over the years. (If the Christian Chronicle places the story on its web site, I will edit this post in order to provide the link to it.)

At http://www.michaelclancy.com, you may read about the amazing story and see amazing photographs of a pre-born child who reaches out and grabs the finger of the surgeon who is operating on him. If you do not agree with the pro-life position, you may change your mind about the humanity of pre-born children and the need to provide legal protection for them after viewing this web site.

At http://www.nrlc.org/news/2008/NRL04/Wilberforce.html, you may read the thoughts of William Wilberforce's great-great-grandson. He says that his ancestor would be involved in the pro-life movement today if he were alive. William Wilberforce led the efforts to abolish the slave trade and slavery in Great Britain's parliament 200 years ago.

At http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200804/20080426_realperseverance.html, you may read a devotional piece about real perseverance. It will encourage you to keep on going when you read about what others are enduring for the sake of God's glory.

At http://sharedhope.wordpress.com, you may read the blog of an organization dedicated to fighting human trafficking and slavery in the United States and around the world. (Yes, it still exists despite its illegality. So it needs to be fought.)

Thanks for reading and for considering helping the Adams family with their needs!

Tagged Again

Trey Morgan (http://www.treymorgan.net/) tagged me this morning. I was a little surprised, since Jackie Chesnutt tagged me yesterday. I have never been tagged two days in a row. By the way, I highly recommend both of their blogs. Here are Trey's questions and my answers:

What I Was Doing 10 Years Ago:

I was trying to get Janet pregnant. Don't worry. I won't provide too much information. I will say this much: doctor's appointments, medication, artificial insemination, and continuous monthly disappointments take much of the romance out of something that should be a lot more fun. Infertility is not an enjoyable experience for a couple who would love to have children. Eventually, we were able to adopt our son. You may read more about our adoption experience at http://adisciplesthoughts.blogspot.com/2007/05/hope-fulfilled.html. You may read my feelings about the significance of our son's adoption at http://adisciplesthoughts.blogspot.com/2007/01/happy-birthday-christopher.html.

Things I Would Do If I Were a Billionaire:

Besides living in a nice hotel (see yesterday's post for more information), I would like to spend my time as a minister for the Contact Church of Christ. I would not want to preach, because I am not much of a public speaker. However, I like to lead home Bible studies and I like to help people with their needs.

I would like to support our current ministers more, also. I know that they are always needing financial support, even though I never hear them complain about it.

I would like to support Christian Services of Oklahoma more, too. It is our adoption agency. I would love to be able to help even more Christian families to adopt children.

Finally, I would like to support a team of missionaries who would travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo in order to reach the Pygmies with the gospel of Christ. The Pygmies are one of the largest unreached people groups in the world. They need to know about Christ and what he had done for them.

Three of My Bad Habits:

I wake up too early on my days off from work, eat too many sweets, and spend too much time on the computer.

Five Things on My To Do List For Today:

1. Finish this post.
2. Eat dinner.
3. Get some exercise (probably a bicycle ride with my family after dinner).
4. Watch last night's episode of LOST.
5. Read my Bible.

Five Places I Have Lived:

1. Glenpool, OK
2. Tulsa, OK
3. Oklahoma City, OK
4. Broken Arrow, OK
5. Catoosa, OK

Five Jobs I Have Had:

1. Bookstore clerk
2. Fast food worker
3. Student center clerk
4. Tutor for a Japanese exchange student who had trouble in her U.S. government class
5. Rural letter carrier for the postal service

Five People I Want to Know More About:

1. Bob Logsdon http://urbanlogfamily.blogspot.com/
2. Sarah Logsdon http://urbanlogfamily.blogspot.com/
3. John Dobbs http://johndobbs.wordpress.com/
4. Preacherman http://www.kinneymabry.blogspot.com/
5. Mitchell Skelton http://mitchellskelton.blogspot.com/

If you are one of the 5 people I want to know more about, consider yourself tagged. Please answer the same questions on your blog. Thanks!

Tagged

I have been tagged by Jackie Chesnutt (http://www.sscocrogers.org/jackie). If I have tagged you, please list 7 random facts about yourself on your blog, and then tag 5 other bloggers. Here are my random facts:

1. I use my 5 year old son as an excuse to watch Saturday morning cartoons. Johnny Test and Batman are my favorites.

2. I seriously considered majoring in art while in college so that I could become a cartoonist or comic book illustrator. The Elks Lodge even gave me a $1000 scholarship with that in mind. Instead, I earned a Bachelor's of Science in Education with a minor in social studies from Oklahoma Christian University.

3. My favorite food is German chocolate cake.

4. If I were a billionaire, I would live in a nice hotel so that I would not be responsible for yard work, home maintenance, or repairs.

5. My favorite television show is Babylon 5.

6. Our dog is named Bat Dog. When we got him from the animal shelter, our son named him. How could I object? I like Batman cartoons, too.

7. I rarely drink anything except water, milk, or juice. Trust me, I'm not a health nut (see #3). I just don't care much for pop; and I can't stand the taste of coffee or alcohol.

Earth Day

"Praise the LORD from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,
you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,
kings of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,
young men and maidens,
old men and children.

"Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens" (Psalm 148:7-13, NIV).

A good devotional about Earth Day may be found at http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2008/04/22/devotion.aspx.

The Church's Elite

I read an amazing sermon today by John Piper at http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1992/790_Receiving_Children_in_Jesus_Name/.
In the sermon, John Piper reveals the identity of the elite (but far from elitist) members of God's church. It could be a worldview altering message.