Romans 5:6 - “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”

There is a temptation before and after we experience Christ that we must get our act together to experience God’s fullness and favor. It sounds honorable. It seems like a good mind-set. I will please God so that He will love me and call me His child.

The problem is that it just doesn’t work. In fact, it is one of the most dangerous and confusing teachings that has risen up over centuries, fueling a performance-based Christianity, enabling us to take some of the credit for the change in our lives. As long as the enemy can convince us that there’s something we can do to earn God’s favor, he knows he can keep us in a state of confusion and defeat and pride. It’s not our sinfulness that blocks God’s grace and love; it’s that nagging and persistent belief that we can do something about it in our own power.

No, my friends, it is Christ who saves us. He comes at just the right time. He saves us when we are utterly helpless— and know we are utterly helpless. Salvation comes through our faith in God— and our victorious living comes in the very same way. We are called to be bold in our faith. But boldness always begins with humility— the full knowledge that it is by grace, not works, lest any of us boast.

My cherished friends, let’s dig in and live fully for God, always acknowledging Him as the Source of our victory. The Bible is a “come as you are” book. You can come today before the Father, just as you are. Welcome Him into your life. You will never be the same.

Prayer: Dear God, I live boldly for you, always grateful and humble that I am utterly helpless to do your will without your strength and love.
(From Darlene Zschech’s devotional. Revealing Jesus.)

-AP