When Ministry Gets Personal

CONSIDER THIS

How would you fill in this blank? A person is made right with God through _______. Simple statement. Yet don’t be fooled. How you answer is critical; it reflects the nature of your faith. A person is made right with God through . . .

• Being good. Simply check off the weekly do’s and don’ts. Pay your taxes. Give sandwiches to the poor. Don’t drive too fast or watch too much TV. Christian conduct — that’s the secret.
• Suffering. There’s the answer. Suffer. Sleep on dirt floors. Stalk through damp jungles. Malaria. Poverty. Vows of silence. Shaved heads, bare feet. The greater the pain, the greater the saint.
• No, no, no. The way to be made right with God? Doctrine. Justify the truth. Simplify all the mysteries. Clarify orthodoxy. Verify theology. Intensify. Purify. Testify.  As if we know more than God does.

How are we made right with God? All of the above have been preached, practiced and promoted. But none are from God. In fact, that is the problem. All are manmade. Think about it. Who does the saving: you or God?

Be careful. If you are saving yourself, you never know for sure about anything. You never know if you’ve hurt enough, wept enough, or learned enough. Such is the result of counterfeit religion: fear, insecurity, instability.

This is why the apostle Paul was concerned for his Galatian friends. In his letter he was essentially saying, “You are out of your minds! What has tricked you and brainwashed you into thinking you somehow have to earn your salvation, especially after you’ve already experienced true salvation through faith in Jesus?” He gets passionate and personal and pleads with them.

God has always been concerned with our hearts above all. He wants a genuine people who just love Him. We can’t earn our way to Him. It’s done! Just rest in Christ’s sacrifice and reject anyone or anything else telling you need to do otherwise. Turn from sin and run to Him. Walk in His grace while keeping our eyes on Jesus!