Q
People match up with other people for various reasons. They desire friendship. They are looking for a mentor. Perhaps it’s a job opportunity, or even physical attraction.
The reason for our matchup affects how we choose our companion.
A friend should share common interests, perhaps sporting skills or shopping chops.
A mentor must be outside our peer group so they can guide us without worrying if they might hurt our feelings.
Those we match up with for job purposes … our skillsets need to complement each other.
How about physical attraction? Or to say it another way, romantic interest … the desire to pursue a lifelong commitment of love, family, and shared interests. We need to choose carefully, making certain we can mesh our lives successfully.
What’s God’s standard for choosing us, for bonding us to him through redemption? Are we required to clean up our lives, become better than we were … in essence, to prove ourselves by righteous living before we can become part of the church?
Titus 3:4-6 tells us:
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.”
Let’s focus on these seven words: according to his mercy he saved us.
That’s God’s whole reason for choosing to reach out to us and offer us his redemption. We need to quit trying to prove ourselves to God in hopes he will “come through” for us. God loves us because he loves us, even when we aren’t living by his standards.
So, here’s the plan: Accept the hand of Christ just as you are.
You don’t need to “clean up” first. There’s plenty of time for that after you accept God’s offer of salvation.
Before we can live like Jesus, we must become connected to him through our spiritual rebirth in Christ.
Copyright © 2020 MyChurchNotes.net
Code: FGO.H.24.19a.vp.esv