Justification by Faith

If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life —Romans 5:10

Read the following very carefully.  It took me a couple of times to get it.  In fact, use the link to the right to go to today's devotional and read the entire thing yourself and let it sink in.

I am not saved by believing— I simply realize I am saved by believing. And it is not repentance that saves me— repentance is only the sign that I realize what God has done through Christ Jesus. The danger here is putting the emphasis on the effect, instead of on the cause. Is it my obedience, consecration, and dedication that make me right with God? It is never that! I am made right with God because, prior to all of that, Christ died.

I sometimes get very confused about what saved me.  I think that what saved me was my decision at age 15 to go forward in a church and pray to accept Jesus Christ as my savior. That is not what saved me.  Jesus Christ dying on the cross saved me...I simply realized what the amazing thing He did for me really was on that day in 1981 and actively decided to follow Him.  I cannot take credit in any way for His salvation.

Lord, thank you for your salvation.  That you did it all...and that although I have not done anything to earn it, you have given that salvation to me.  Amen.

Photo of cross imbedded in concrete. Taken by Photographic Textures, Creative Commons Flickr