Salvation: never a DIY project

by | Mar 9, 2023 | 2014 | 0 comments

The wind is howling up on my roof as I huddle over the solar water heating panel, wondering  just what it’s going to take to get this leak fixed?

I’ve tried at least 10 different solutions; Solder didn’t work, nor did epoxy, silicone, bitumen, or Pratley’s putty, along with several other waterproofing and sealing ideas.  It seems that stainless steel resists adhesion to almost all substances, especially when it’s going through continual expansion and contraction due to fluctuating temperatures. The thin squirt of water mocks me as I once again decide that some things are beyond our abilities and best left to the professionals.

This continued struggle got me thinking of sin and my salvation.  I recalled the pressure I had previously felt when I had thought that my salvation was dependent on my own good works and efforts;  I would try to be a better person, try to do what I thought God expected of me, yet always seemed to somehow fall short of the mark. So then I’d come up with another plan to try to overcome… and then fail once again! Whatever I tried was never enough.  

Finally I realised that I didn’t need to do it on my own. I had help.

Some of you may be living under that same pressure, trying to match up against the impossible; trying to be good enough to earn God’s love and your own way into His kingdom.

The Apostle Paul understood this better than most: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.   All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:10-12).

Does this mean there is no hope?

In Genesis we read that we are made in God’s image, and yet are ungodly. We are not the way we were created to be. But even though we have messed ourselves up, God still considers us to be made in his image (Genesis 9:6).  That is why he was prepared to do whatever it would take to save us.

Salvation is a rescue operation, not a DIY solution

We were out of our depth, flailing helplessly, and needing to be rescued from our sin.

And God has done this—but he did it in a way that no human would have expected; The Son of God became a man, lived a perfect life, and then died on the cross at our own hands. And that, says God, is the salvation we need. What irony. We are rescued by a victim!

Our Creator took on our humanity so that he could die for us. But God raised him back to life, and through Jesus, he promises to resurrect us, too. In the death and resurrection of Jesus, humanity is represented and salvation made possible. Though he did not deserve death, he willingly died on our behalf, for our sins. Our old self died with him, and a new person is brought back to life with him (Romans 6:3-4). In one sacrifice, Jesus atoned “for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

How then?

The question now raised is how are we to receive these gracious benefits of Christ’s sacrifice? The answer is simple: we participate in the plan through faith, which means putting our trust wholly in Christ. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 ).

I can never boast that I fixed the leak in my solar water heating panel. It was eventually disconnected, but remains on my roof as a reminder that some things are just way beyond my ability. In the same way I can never boast about contributing towards  my own salvation. I’m so glad that Jesus’ sacrifice was ‘once for all’ (Hebrews 7:27), and that it is fully sufficient without the need for me to add to it.

Are you tired of trying to do it on your own?

If you have reached the point of realisation that you can never get it all together, then take comfort from Christ’s words:

 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30 The Message).

What a comfort to know that God has it covered, and the pressure is off you and me.  This enables us to enjoy our Christian walk, as well as look forward to a time when the image of God, once tarnished by sin, will be restored to an even better state than it was previously. And all this, accomplished by salvation, not through our own doing, but wholly  through Christ.

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