Short and sweet thought for the week…
We know that Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). That’s us! Most of us didn’t even know we were lost until Jesus found us and offered us salvation. Salvation is not as complicated as people think. For example, once a jailer asked Paul, “What must I do to be saved?”
Paul answered simply, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved…” (Acts 16:31).
Jesus saves us from our sins (Matthew 1:21). This means all our sins are forgiven—past, present, and future. Sin loses its power in our lives (Romans 6:6). We can’t save ourselves, so Jesus saves us.
Not only are our sins forgiven, but Jesus goes to work changing us into better people. In a way, He saves us from ourselves. Without Christ, we are primarily focused on ourselves. We are mainly interested in self-promotion, self-righteousness, and self-preservation which makes us self-conscious, self-indulgent, self-centered, and self-seeking. If not kept in check, we are our own worst enemies.
With Christ in our lives, we are no longer caught up with our plans, our hopes, our desires, our dreams, and everything that is an extension of us. While there is nothing wrong with planning, hoping, and dreaming, these desires must align with God’s will for our lives, not ours. God has a more inclusive view which does not focus totally us. God loves us but we are not the center of His universal picture, but He should be the center of ours.
Once we realize that God loves us and knows what is best, not just for us but everyone around us, it is easier to surrender to His will. Having complete trust in Him helps us pray for His will, not ours to be done. This is just another way of asking, “Jesus, please save me from myself.”
“…Your will be done…” ~Matthew 9:10
