Salvation — Monday
TODAY’S VERSE
John 3:15–17
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (ESV)
Each year for Christmas, my grandmother gives me a gift card. I don’t know how you feel about gift cards, but they are my favorite gift. It's like getting a present you get to pick out yourself. As always, I was excited to open up her Christmas gift this year… an Amazon gift card.
I do need to tell you about one (of many) personality flaws I have: it takes me forever to use those gift cards. I want to make sure what I’m buying is special… And a good deal. And useful. And fun. It feels like I’m trying to pick out the perfect gift… for me. (I know it doesn’t make any sense, but just go with me.)
Anyway, back to the story. I decided to keep my Amazon gift card in my truck console, so I would have it handy if I found something I wanted. Apparently, that wasn’t the first time I’d had that idea, because when I opened up my console, I found two other gift cards I’d stashed in there. The sacrifice had been made to give me those gifts, but I had hidden them away and never did anything with them.
My hoarding of gift cards paints a pretty clear picture of the gift God has given us. He made the ultimate sacrifice and paid the ultimate price by allowing His Son to be crucified for our mistakes. Through that sacrifice, He has given us the gift of forgiveness and eternal life. Whether you have accepted that gift makes no difference in whether it was offered.
I hope everyone reading this hears this: God loves you so much that he let His own Son die on your behalf. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’ve heard that before. But hearing about it isn’t the same as accepting it. We all have to make the decision to accept that gift of forgiveness. We have to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins. And we have to choose to follow Him as Lord.
Now don’t hear what I’m not saying. The gift has already been offered. You don’t have to live a good life or volunteer at Southland Kids or give 15% of your income to the needy. Nothing you do earns that gift. But you do have to accept it. If you’ve been walking around trying to be a “good enough” person or you’ve been coasting through life because you go to church sometimes, take a good, honest look at your heart. You may have taken God’s gift and thrown it in your console. Maybe today is the day to take it out, dust it off, and open it. Maybe today is the day to finally admit you don’t have all the answers—that you don’t control your own destiny—and that there’s no possible way to be “good enough.” The GOOD NEWS is that Jesus is good enough. And He’s ready to take the mess we’ve made of our lives and make us brand new.
APPLICATION
If you feel God’s prompting in your heart to take this next step, don’t feel like you have to do it alone. Visit southland.church/care to connect with someone at one of our campuses or to schedule a baptism. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or the decisions you’ve made. Make the decision today to take a step toward Jesus.
Want to get baptised Easter weekend? Fill out this form.
PRAYER
Today I give you my life. God, you know every time I take the wheel from you, I make a mess of things. I can’t be good enough, and there’s no amount of good deeds that could make up for the sins in my life. I need a Savior, and I need a Lord. God, forgive me for turning my back on you and doing things my way. Today, I choose to follow you, accept your free gift, and start living for you. Thank You for your sacrifice and Your love. I don’t deserve it, but I will accept it. In Jesus’ name, amen.