Good Wednesday morning! We are promised a hot day today. If you want me, I'll be inside today for the most part. Today on my walk with the Lord at sunrise, I had one nagging question: Am I getting it? I read stories of athletes who spend years training, have a load of talent, but don't quite 'get it' in their particular sport. I had to ask the Lord if I have 'gotten it' in writing or in the life of grace we live. This is a good thing to ask for yourself in prayer. We don't always know if we have everything right in our minds just yet in whatever field we have been led to. We also may not quite 'get it' when it comes to the grace of Jesus Christ.
Since the answer I received this morning was, "You're close on writing, but not quite there on my grace." I'll try to work it out this morning. Writing is a complex endeavor that requires years of practice and discipline. Grace is simple in that Christ died for our sins and God has imputed Christ's righteousness to those who believe. So quite naturally I am closer to getting the complex issue and farther away from the simple. Why should that be?
In our Bible reading you may have come upon this little prayer that Jesus spoke: At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children. (Matthew 11:25) As I am still in the world physically, I tend to think first that salvation must be attained through years of self-denial, worship, kneeling, study, and finally understanding. You will of course see the basic formula for many religions in that process. Learning a skill in the world, such as writing, works much the same way give or take a little kneeling and/or worship. Since the process of learning a new skill fits what we already expect, we naturally 'get' that much more quickly. Grace can be summed up with simple things like: "I'm forgiven!" ...and that makes me sit back in awe of our mighty God.
Of course, I want to add all sorts of things to that by way of explanation. I want to sound smart, and I want to show off my knowledge, and I want to make it a very complex issue that will somehow require years of diligent study and self-sacrifice. All these wants that rise up within me want to go to war with the simple good news that when you and I came to believe in Jesus we received forgiveness for our sins and now we are saved. But what about the race that Paul speaks of to obtain the prize and all that stuff? Well, so you want to be sanctified too? Tomorrow we can go into that process we seek. Jesus handed us the key to the treasure chest at the cross; let us open it and see what the Spirit has brought us!
You are saved; get it? Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His saving grace.
Bucky
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