When we
repent of our sin, ask for God's forgiveness and surrender our life to Him, He gives us His righteousness, which can only come through Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God.
Jesus then
abides within us by His Spirit (John 15:4). He raises our spirit, which is dead
in sin, to walk in a whole new life (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:4; Colossians
2:12). This secures our place in Heaven.
That is why
God sent His perfect Lamb, who learned obedience through the things, which He suffered in His life in
this sin-cursed world (Hebrews 5:8-9).
He never lived a moment in sin, so He was worthy to take on the sin of the whole world and to make us righteous
through His sacrifice on Calvary's cross (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Our human
penchant is to trust in our self-righteousness, natural talents and basic good
heart to earn us a place in heaven; or at least, to ensure
that we are reincarnated to a higher life form.
The problem
with this thinking is that our heart is deceitful and basically wicked
(Jeremiah 17:9). Even our best day falls short of God's holiness and glory,
which is the standard for entrance into Heaven (Roman 3:23).
Jesus
willingly laid down His life for us (Luke 4:29-30). He made the choice in the
Garden of Gethsemane, on the night before He was betrayed, to carry out God's
will rather than to run from God's calling on His life (Luke 22:42).
Prayer:
Father God,
thank You for sending Jesus to submit to the excruciating scourging and death on
the cross on our behalf. He bore this trauma by the spiritual strength He
received while considering the glory that lay waiting for Him in Heaven
(Hebrews 12:2). Help us to keep Your glory as our focus in life as well,
regardless of our circumstances.
Your grace
transforms us into a Temple made without hands, a dwelling place fit for a King
(1 Corinthians 3:16). You use what the world considers as foolishness to carry
out the work of Your Kingdom (1 Corinthians 1:27). We submit to Your will in our life,
so that we will also be counted worthy to dwell with You for eternity in Your glorious
Kingdom (Luke 21:36).
Thought for
the Day:
God created each one of us for a specific
purpose; and He will judge our works, which we perform in this life, in order to reward us in His
Heavenly Kingdom.
- Ephesians
2:10; 1 Corinthians 3:13
