Receiving God’s Blessings by Susan Barnes
"Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God." John 13:3
Jesus' coming to earth was for a specific purpose. When Jesus hung on the cross, he said, "It is finished," because he had achieved that purpose. He completed everything necessary to provide us with salvation. If we try to add anything to our salvation, we are saying Jesus' death wasn't enough.
If someone knocks on our door and surprises us with a gift, we don't consider that we have contributed to the visit by opening the door or accepting the gift. Something similar happens when God knocks on the spiritual door of our heart and offers us the gift of salvation. We open the door and accept the gift; we haven’t contributed. It may make us feel a little inadequate, incompetent, or incapable, but the truth is, there’s nothing for us to do. Jesus has done it all.
Furthermore, he has done everything necessary to sustain us. We cannot maintain a godly life by our own effort, so he fills us with his Spirit and works in us. Paul writes, “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).
This Easter, as we reflect on Jesus’ death and resurrection, let’s not leave him standing on the doorstep of our hearts. Let’s not thank him for his gift but leave it unopened. Instead let’s open our hearts to his presence, accept his gift of salvation, and respond with gratitude for all he has done for us.
Susan, an Australian pastor's wife, regularly writes devotional thoughts on Bible passages, book reviews and inspirational articles. Contact |
