Thursday, August 16, 2012

Can't Be Earned

I've told the teenagers in our church several times that the Lord saved me when I was 6 years old, and after walking with Him for over 36 years, I STILL haven't done enough to earn my salvation.  It wasn't earned back then, it isn't now, and it never will be.  On my deathbed (if I die in bed...) I'll still be miserably, infinitely short of earning my salvation.  It's a work of grace and mercy.  Start to finish.

B.B. Warfield said that there is nothing that we do in oursevles that makes us acceptable to God. 
"We must always be accepted for Christ's sake, or wee cannot ever be accepted at all.  This is not true of us only when we believe.  It is just as true after we have believed.  It will continue to be true as long as we live.  Our need of Christ does not cease with our believing."
 My hope is built on nothing less that Jesus' blood and (His) righteousness.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Everyday our flesh, the world and the devil tell us in various ways that we (our actions, morality, works...) are the alpha and omega of our salvation, that we are the authors and finishers. What a lie. Thanks for your persistence and consistency in telling us the Truth, day in and day out. I need to hear it as a constant echo for daily living in God's grace and mercy.

The Blainemonster said...

Tim, you know what's kind of funny is that one night while teaching the Holy Spirit revealed to me the truth of that - you didn't earn it then, and you still haven't - and I instantly shared it with the kids. It's been a great way for me to keep things in perspective.

:) I even told them that this dear octogenarian in our church named Amy whom they all adore hasn't earned her salvation either, and she's about the sweetest, most godly woman we know.