Christians often hang onto what might be the most quoted Bible verse in the evangelical world.
John 3:16 "God so loved the world that he gave is only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have eternal life."
Except me.
I have many times in my life entertained the thought "God does love the world, but surely He is not including me. He knows my thoughts, my mountain of sin. I'm the exception." Usually this happens when I've had a bad day where I've sinned in area where God is still refining me, and feel so deeply that I've disappointed God and that I've failed as a Christian.
In His word, over and over, He says "Beloved (that's what my name actually means), there are NO EXCEPTIONS."
"My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge." Ps 62:7
"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people." Titus 2:11
"For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Th 5:9
The work is His to do. Our "work" of trying in our own power to live a sinless life will not work. Read those three verses above, and pay attention to the the "doer" in those verses. The "doer" is God.
My salvation depends on God.
The grace of God offers salvation.
God appointed us to receive salvation.
Our part in this is to receive it. We don't have to fix ourselves. Funny how we can continually go back and take up our old baggage and weigh ourselves down again in the sin that He's already paid the price for. Let's lay it back down at His feet, and ask Him to keep it there, covered by His blood.
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