I’ve been reading in the book of Acts this week…
Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the [Gentile] believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.”
– – –
[In Jerusalem, Peter said] “No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
– Acts 15:1, 11 NIV
I think sometimes today’s Christians say or think much the same as the Christians from Judea:
“Unless you _____________, you cannot be saved.”
We forget that it is by grace that we are saved, through faith—not by works or any preexisting or “changed” condition (Eph. 2:8-9). We impose “fill-in-the-blank” requirements for salvation, forgetting that Christ died for sinners – not the “saintly” (Rom. 5:8.)
Of course, once we have relationship with Jesus, then we must address the sin in our lives…continually (Romans, Galatians, I John, etc.)
So thankful God doesn’t require that
the way of Salvation be flipped…
…none would be saved, especially me.
Training Journal – 12/18/11:
- Current plan: 10K Training (week 1 in the bag! Mileage: 21.42)
- Today’s session: Long Run – 8 mi
- Comments: Nice run. Clear and crisp morning…peaceful outside. Pacing plan was 11:28…I simply find it hard to run that slow. Pacing was an average 9:56 using a 4:00/:30 run/walk, Galloway ratio. I tried GU Chomps this morning and they were actually pretty good.