Radically Regenerate: This is the Gospel, Day 6 #SheReadsTruth

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. (‭Psalm‬ ‭51‬:‭3-4‬ NIV)

When we are truly honest with ourselves, we see who we really are and what we really deserve. It is then that we understand God's justice AND His mercy.

As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” (‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭10-12‬ NIV)

AND

Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins. (‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭7‬:‭20‬ NIV)

AND

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. (‭Psalm‬ ‭53:‭1-3‬ ESV)

AND

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬ ESV)

BUT

...[we] are justified by his grace as a GIFT, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭24‬ ESV)

AND

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the GIFT of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8-9‬ ESV)

The author of this devo writes: "I must have prayed 'The Sinner’s Prayer' twenty times growing up. I was always so afraid I’d missed something, paranoid I’d somehow nullified my salvation since the last time I said the magic words. And do you know what I finally understand now, a full thirty years after the first time I prayed? There is nothing magic about about it....It was never about the where or how or with what words I came to Christ. It was never about what I was doing. It was always about what He did."

Can you relate to this? I most definitely can. I'm daily fighting the urge to make my salvation about something I'M doing. Making the list, living the Christian life, making the focus ME instead of Jesus.

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise...Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar. (‭Psalm‬ ‭51‬:‭16-17, 19‬ NIV)

See, first we need to be broken. We need to recognize our wretchedness. And by responding in love, gratitude and devotion to how he's loved us, then our "works" (the response) become a delight to Him.

But even when we get this, when we remind ourselves of this EVERY DAY, we still fall short. We still struggle. We are still flesh. The writer continues: "But, oh! even the believing requires His grace! Like the father in Mark 9:24 we cry out, 'I believe! Help my unbelief!' We believe for a moment and then we doubt. We are tossed by the waves one day and stand tall on the rock the next. We are frail and we are strong; we are sure and we despair; we do what we hate and hate what we do, just like that same apostle Paul (Romans 7:15)."

Last Sunday at ABF (Adult Bible Fellowship), our leader read the lyrics to the hymn, "How Deep the Father's Love for Us" and the last stanza just blew me away. Why me? Why am I given this grace? I have no answer. This is just one of the mysteries of the Gospel. It is HARD to believe. It's crazy, foolishness (For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing - 1 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬ NIV). BUT we can choose to respond like the father in Mark, to realize our inability even to believe. We can recognize our need for Jesus, even in our unbelief.

"Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer.

But this I know with all my heart,
His wounds have paid my ransom."

Here is a link to the whole song with lyrics. Just beautiful. http://youtu.be/e9FG12eTSbI