A few weeks before Easter in 1985 I asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins. I asked Him to be my Lord and to be my Savior.
24 years later I am realizing I am still a spiritual baby. I have "known" for years that absolutely nothing I do will help me gain access into heaven. I will enter into heaven because of what Jesus did on the cross for me. I add nothing... but for 24 years, although I have "known" this, I don't think I have lived with this truth in my heart.
We are reading a wonderful book in care group called A Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent. What a great little book. I just have to share these sweet morsels...
As long as I am stricken with the guilt of my sins, I will be captive to them and will often find myself re-committing the very sins about which I feel most guilty. The Gospel, however slays sin at this root point and thereby nullifies sin's power over me. The forgiveness of God, made known to me through the Gospel, liberates me from sin's power because it liberates me first from its guilt; and preaching such forgiveness to myself is a practical way of putting the Gospel into operation as a nullifier of sin's power in my life.
The Gospel encourages me to rest in my righteous standing with God, a standing which Christ Himself has accomplished and always maintains for me. I never have to do a moment's labor to gain or maintain my justified status before God.
The Gospel also reminds me that my righteous standing with God always holds firm regardless of my performance, because my standing is based solely on the work of Jesus and not mine. On my worst days of sin and failure, the Gospel encourages me with God's unrelenting grace toward me. On my best days of victory and usefulness, the Gospel keeps me relating to God solely on the basis of Jesus' righteousness and not mine.
May these wonderful truths comfort your soul and turn your eyes and heart toward the Savior.
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