Christ Alone!

By

 


                      Christ Alone

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’will enter into the kingdom of heaven—only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many powerful deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’Everyonewho hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock.” (Matthew 7:21–24)

Recently, I received an email from a subscriber of KingdomNomics asking for an explanation of the above verses. I replied that no matter how great the ministry of an individual may be, we must remember the source, power, and foundation of our salvation is the person of Jesus Christ alone. It is only when we truly have a relationship with Jesus that we have right standing before God. Our works do not accomplish that.

I believe this passage of scripture is referring to people who are trusting in their works to get them into heaven. Works, no matter how wonderful, are not an acceptable payment for our sin, nor do they make us right with God. Only the blood of Jesus Christ is the acceptable payment for sin, and only by his blood do we have redemption in Christ. The people mentioned in the above passage are referring to themselves, saying their works ought to qualify them to enter heaven. Without realizing it, they are trusting in themselves rather than in Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul said it well: “Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12–14). He also said, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lordand believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

This is a 100% work by God. It is only God who qualifies, delivers, and transfers and in whom there is the forgiveness of sin. Only Jesus Christ provides our salvation. Nothing else. True faith produces works that are motivated by the relationship with Christ.

Today, ask yourself: In what ways do my works flow out of my relationship with Jesus Christ?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stay in Balance!

By
Image
  Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. Mark 6:31 Stay in Balance Everywhere Jesus went, He was healing people, teaching in the synagogues, pouring Himself into His disciples. People made constant demands on His time and energies. Imagine how He felt. As the Son of God, He had this incredible power, anointing, wisdom, so much to offer. Yet at times, when He was exhausted, He would go away from the crowds and get alone so He could be refreshed. Despite the pressing needs around Him, Jesus knew that He had to take care of His temple.  If the Son of God had to be alone and rest, if He couldn’t meet all the demands of the people around Him, why do we think we can go all the time and be everything for everyone? No matter how anointed, strong, smart, or gifted you are, you get depleted. Despite all the needs around you, you have to
Read more

Give Cheerfully!

By
Image
        Give Cheerfully “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”  (2 Corinthians 9:7) When giving is done with the right attitude, it can be a gateway for God to move in significant ways in our lives. It is important to remember that it is not the amount we give that matters so much as it is the attitude that characterizes our giving. God loves it when we give out of a cheerful and grateful heart. God’s loving of a cheerful giver results in God taking action in our lives. Scripture states unequivocally that God will make all spiritual and earthly blessing abound to us so we can multiply our efforts for the kingdom. This is why I believe giving provides a major gateway for God to work in our lives, we can expect God to visit us. Jesus will fellowship with the cheerful giver, and the Holy Spirit will impart life to out mortal bodies. When we weave a pattern of giving into our lives, we can
Read more

Don’t Water it Down!

By
Image
  And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature… (2 Peter 1:4) Don’t Water it Down All of us have dreams we’re believing for, but too often we get discouraged and quit believing for the fullness of what’s in our heart. It’s easy to water down what God promised us. “I don’t like this job, but it’s good enough.” “I was believing for a house, but this apartment is okay.” “I was hoping to get well, but I’ve learned to live with this sickness.” If you’re going to become all you were created to be, you have to keep a fire in your spirit that says, “I refuse to settle for less than what God promised.” You’re not going to be talked out of it, you’re not going to water it down, and you’re not going to let good enough be good enough. It may be more difficult and taking longer than you thought, but what God promised you is still on the way—not a watered-down version, not a make-do promotion,
Read more