The Lord is awe-inspiring, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Acts 20:20-21,
“You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.”
Paul recounts for the Ephesian elders his ministry among them. This will be his last meeting with them in this life and as he knows he is facing death he reminds them of his message to both Jews and Gentiles, to all men. All men must repent (have a change of heart, mind) from the current direction of their lives and “have faith in our Lord Jesus.”
The issue of faith is strikingly clear in the pages of Scripture. God has made the effort, in his revelation to us, to tell us that it is faith he has decided will be the determining factor for anyone to come to him. God chose before the ages began that it will be those who embrace him in faith who will have an inheritance in him. When Adam and Eve capitulated to the temptation of the Serpent in the Garden of Eden, it was a clear lack of faith in what God had told them that resulted in their fall. Conversely, God introduces us to a man named Abraham who exhibited the kind of faith that will bring salvation. Abraham’s faith, which earned him a covenant with God, is that faith which, if we follow in his footsteps of faith, will bring us into a covenant relationship with God. “He [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why ‘it was credited to him as righteousness.’ The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” Romans 4:20-24.
Jesus Christ took our punishment for sin on himself but it is only “credited” to us when we embrace him in faith. It will not be by works, it will not be by comporting oneself in accord with an established set of moral standards and it will not be by the exercise of religious acts of piety that bring salvation. It is faith and faith alone. “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9.
How wonderful God has decided our salvation will be based on faith and not performance. If it depended on my behavior, I wouldn’t make it. If it depended on my observance of religious disciplines and piety I wouldn’t make it. What he has asked of me is that I simply embrace him in faith! How wonderful is that?! It is truly a gift from him, a gift that came by the heavy lifting Jesus Christ did for me, when he died that horrible death on that cross!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your theme of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We’d love to hear from you!
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