Message from Scripture: 5/31/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today is Eph. 2:8. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

 

Bumper stickers seem to be a medium where people express their feelings and beliefs. One I saw years ago was “I hope God isn’t too picky.” Asking God not to be picky is a wish that God will overlook most of the choices a person’s made in life, and offer eternal life no matter what. Certainly, we are all saved by God’s grace, for without the sacrifice of Christ everyone would be lost forever. It was the love of God for us that sent Christ to the cross. It was the love of Jesus that brought Him to live in the flesh and die for us. No one can earn, or deserve, God’s love and mercy.

 

This doesn’t mean, however, that God has no expectations for how we live. God expects us to die to ourselves that we might live for Him. He expects us to surrender our will to His. He demands we put Him first, and sacrifice ourselves for Him. As Jesus Himself said, “Be faithful continually until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).

 

To wish God not to be picky is basically saying you want to live however you want, and it will please God. It will not. No, we won’t be, and can’t be perfect, but we can give Him our best. To live is Christ (Phil. 1:21). Christ is our life (Col. 3:4). We live by faith because He loves us and gave Himself for us (Gal. 2:20). We identify with our Lord’s statement, “Not My will but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). In a sense, God is picky, in that He picked His Son to die for us, and that demands us to offer our best for Him (Rom. 12:1-2).

 

Today, let’s go out and serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, offering Him our best, as He offered His best, Himself, for us. God bless.

 

Robert