9-29-2019

Good Morning All,

Titus 3:5; “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,”

    Most adult Americans are, by nurture, a cynical bunch.  This usually occurs when after being burned a time or two with buying something that just sounds “too good to be true”; we come to the realization that if it sounds too good to be true it isn’t true at all.  We hear this admonition from every consumer watchdog group that exists.  The Better Business Bureau, the Consumer Protection League, the Consumer Report; take your pick they all tell the same story.  Do not trust or believe anything that sounds too simple.

    So, the devil, the world and our sinful nature screams at us as loud as they can, “It is too good to be true; don’t buy it!!”  Yet God clearly tell us it is that simple.  If you believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died and rose from the dead to pay for your sins, you are saved.  That’s it; that’s all there is to it.  If you believe that Jesus Christ dies for you sins and rose again, you have salvation.  God has promised this!  It is not debatable or of any form of second guessing.  If you believe, you are saved.

    So why do we struggle?  Mostly this goes against everything we are talk in the human world.  Have you ever talked to an economist?  Within in five minutes he will tell you, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”  Do you listen to the Better Business Bureau or the Consumer Report?  Do not trust anything that sounds too good. That is the message of the world.  This is part of what Scriptures means when it says the wisdom of the world is folly to God.  It doesn’t make sense to the world but it is God’s desire to do this.  It makes sense to God and in the end, isn’t that who we should worry about?

     God actively and with intention chose to save us through the death of Jesus his Son.  God has chosen to give us this salvation.  God has chosen to give us the faith to trust in that salvation.  It is way too easy according to the world but it is God’s plan.  Believe with your heart and you are saved.  If you truly believe this, your life will change.  God will give you a newness because you are a new creation.  You are a redeemed child of God; over everything else, you are God’s child.  That is what the devil wants you to forget; that is what the devil wants to hide and confuse you about.  You are God’s redeemed child because he loves you and he wants you to live with him in heaven.  So, he makes it simple for us; believe in your heart that Jesus died for you and you will be saved.  It doesn’t get any better than that!  Trust in God’s promise and you will be saved.  It is not too good to be true; it simply is true!

Dearest Father, the world tries to confuse us with all of its tricks.  Give us the confidence to trust in your saving grace.  Give us wisdom to cling to the cross of Jesus as the sign of our salvation.  Give us the courage to believe in our heart that Jesus is our Savior.  Keep us in your loving arms and defend us from the lies of the devil.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen,

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret