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God’s Offer



            About a month ago, my buddy Jason said, “I am going to a conference in Dallas and you should come with me.”
            “I would love to,” I replied, “but I can’t afford it.”
            “That is the best part,” he said.  “Someone is paying for my flight down there and I am sure that they would be willing to pay for yours too.”
            Then he said, “The other thing is that when I was booking my flights online last week, I had a problem with my credit card, so I ended up calling the airline and booking my seats that way.  However, when I looked at my credit card statement today, I realized that the first transaction actually went through, so now I have booked two seats on each flight.  I will get the airline to take my name off one of the tickets and put your name on it.  Everything else is covered.”
            So I went to Dallas.
            Notice, though, that I had absolutely nothing to do with making this trip happen.  I could not pay for it.  I did not have seats booked.  I did not have a rental car (Jason had one, so I rode with him).  I did not have a place to stay.  In fact, I had not even heard of the conference.  I only got to go because someone thought it would be good for me.  Jason made all the arrangements, worked out all the details and even arranged payment on my behalf.  It had nothing to do with me.  I simply benefitted from it.
            With that in mind, read this verse: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
            Why do we have any hope?  Upon what is our acceptance into God’s kingdom based?  Will our good deeds get us in?  Can we earn our salvation?  Not at all!  We have hope only because someone paid the debt that we could not pay.  Jesus took his name off of his ticket and wrote your name in there so that you get treated as if you are Jesus himself.  He takes your sins and he gives you his righteousness!  You cannot make that happen.  You can only accept it.
            The truth is that your actions matter, but they do not earn you anything.  All they can do is keep you close to the one who can make you holy.
            God says, “I will pay for everything.  Just come home!”      

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