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The Basis of Your Salvation


            Sometimes one verse can say a lot.  For instance, take a look at Colossians 1:13:  “For he (God) has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins”.

            I want you to notice the fact that “HE has rescued US!”  Now those four words may not seem like much, but they contain one of the best messages every told.  Note who does the rescuing:  God.  Note what we do in order to be rescued: nothing!

            If that sounds strange (and it may because we have been taught to think that somehow we have to earn our salvation) continue reading.  Notice how we got from the “darkness” into “the Kingdom of the Son he loves”.  We are “brought” into the Kingdom.  It is not about what we have done, but, again, about what God does for us.

            The passage goes on to say that we are redeemed (bought back) and that we have “forgiveness of sins” because we are “in Christ”.  Notice this is not tied to our action, but to God’s Son.  This is given to us, not earned by us.

            Unfortunately, our sinful nature tries to convince us that “nothing is free” and that if you are going to be saved you have to work for it.  However, God’s grace is a free gift.  The offer is open to all with no strings attached.  As soon as we start to believe that we have to somehow work for this gift, we have corrupted the entire message.  Logic should tell us that we cannot work for a gift.  By its very nature, a gift is something that is freely given.

            2 Corinthians 5:21 makes this truth even more clear when it says, “God made him who had no sin (Jesus) to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”.  How do we become righteous?  We become righteous by accepting the free gift offered through Jesus’ death on the cross.  He takes our sin and we take his righteousness; Period!

            Now, does that mean that we can live any old way we want?  Of course not! To go on sinning and living in a way that is opposite to the things of God would be an insult to the gift that we have been given.  In fact, the Colossians are reminded that they must “Live a life worthy of the Lord” (Colossians 1:10).  This, however, is a response to the gift, not the way to earn it.

            Bottom line:  We are sons and daughters of God based on the fact that we are born again not on what we have done to earn it.

            In other words, your salvation is based on your birth certificate, not your resume.

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