Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory. --Romans 5: 1-2
My 3-year-old grandson was at my house recently and I wanted something to keep him entertained while I did some work in the kitchen. I brought out my ark, a hand-carved wooden ark I bought at a craft show years ago that includes Mr. and Mrs. Noah along with two of a number of animals. Thurston decided to make a parade of the animals going toward the ark and the line wound from the dining room into the kitchen. Then he decided the animals should have a ticket to get on the ark and as I gave him a pad of sticky-notes to use as tickets I thought to myself, "Good thing we humans don't need a ticket."
A few weeks later, I took on a task at church--cleaning out and defrosting a couple of little refrigerators. A friend commented that I had taken on quite a job and I replied, "Well, if this won't get me into heaven, nothing will." I quickly added, "I know better--my theology isn't that messed up!"
We like to conjure up the image of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates with his giant book of the details of our lives. I guess we came up with that mental picture because that's the way we would run heaven. You cheated on your math test in 4th grade, you don't get in. You didn't teach Sunday School or Bible School or sing in the choir, you must be kidding!. Ah, you never missed a Sunday, come right in. But that's not God's way. Maybe God's way is almost too easy for us to comprehend. In Romans 10:13, Paul tells us, "For, every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved." The ticket is already punched, we just have to pick it up. And we don't have to jump through hoops to get it--just pick it up!
Anita Gardner Farrell
1 comment:
I too was very harsh on myself and fed up with the traditions and theological compliance of the Oneness Apostolic Pentecostal church. All the theological compliance, legalism, specific way to perform water baptism in Jesus' Name, speaking in tongues, and travail at the altar all did not take away my shame, guilt, sins, and made me spiritually secure. I was afraid and would not call upon the name of the Lord. I became spiritually secure when I decided to call upon the name of the Lord without legalism. Romans 10:8-13 makes clear that salvation is for everyone, instantly; the moment one calls upon the name of the Lord with a confession. When I truly surrendered by simply believing in the resurrection and calling upon the name of the Lord for conversion; I had a tremendous amount of assurance of my salvation because of a fresh reading of Romans 10:8-13.
I now have the witness of the Spirit assuring me I AM one of God's children. And, I know that Christ died for MY sins, He forgave ME of MY sins, and He unconditionally accepted ME.
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