The Joy of Salvation

"The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself; to be conquered by yourself is of all things most shameful and vile." ~Plato


How empowering! If you don't like something, change it! But wait...
You don't like your hair? Dye it. You don't like your shape? Loose weight. You don't like your attitude? Change it. You don't like your anger probelm. Work on it. You fight anxiety. Trust God more. And on and on.... Yet how frustrating and neverending this changing, fighting,  and changing some more can be. It can actually be maddening!  If you have lived for any amount of time, you know that once you "conquer" one problem (if you ever do!), another one arises.  Suddenly you are trapped in a cyle of perfecting yourself! Sure, you may have a picutre of what "perfect" looks like, and a self-help plan to get there.  But let's be real: will you ever be "perfect"? Have you ever heard someone say, "Finally, I have attained perfection. I never sin; I am beautiful; I have enough money. I am living in a way that pleases God. I have gained control."  No, we never reach that point because we can't. And since we're on the subject, what does it mean to please God?
 
Romans 2
¹² All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³ For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
 
Yikes. "Those who obey the law will be dedlared righteous."  Well, we know every one of us has disobeyed the law.
 
That's right; even if I read for Bible for one hour a day, pray for three hours a day,love your neighbor, and do all of this before breakfast,  I still have not done enough to please God. Why?? Because I cannot be perfect. So, if you're not depressed about this situation, let me summarize. I am a sinner by nature. Therefore, by nature I cannot please God. Even if I go to church every Sunday morning and Sunday night, I am destined to hell, because I cannot please God.   
 
But there is hope.
 
Galatians 1
^"3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴ who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father"
 
I have been rescued! Jesus has rescued us. Did I do something to deserve this? No!
 
Ephesians 2
"1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature^a and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast."
 
I was dead. Dead people can't  do better; dead people can't respond. Therefore, I have no reason to boast. Did God save us so we can make Him proud? Absolutely not. He saved us to show His power, His grace, and His kindness. So, were in that do you see yourself working, or showing off? Umm, yeah.
 
Tullian Tchvidjan is one of my favorite pastors. His series "Free at Last" has been life changing for me. I honestly believe I have never know the "joy of my salvation" until very recently. 
 
Galatians 1 explains why I (and maybe some of you) struggle to find that joy. Why I struggled even wanting to go to church. Yeah, that's right. That is the last place I wanted to go.
 
10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.


Read the whole chapter (actually the whole book!). Grace is incredible!!  

It is not possible to please God any more! I was not saved because of my good works, therefore, any good works I do now cannot please God any more! It's all about Jesus, nothing about me. And what a relief! It doesn't matter if I don't pray before breakfast; God is still pleased because He is pleased with Christ's work in me. It doesn't matter if I skip church Sunday morning; God is still pleased because He is pleased with Christ's work in me. Do you feel that joy?? That relief????

Why don't we talk about grace more? Why do we hear so many mesages about what we need to do? Because grace is embarrassing. Grace is messy. Grace means: you are worthless without Christ. Grace means there is nothing you can do; you are helpless. People would rather be told a list of things to do no matter how long and hard that list is than the fact that they can't do it.

Paul explains his previous manner of life. He really thought he was pleasing God while persecuting these Christians. What are the "good deeds" I think are pleasing God? Doing my quiet time every day, praying every day, going to church, tithing.... Isaiah 64:6 tells us how "good" those things are: like menstrual rags. Yuck. Kind of embarassing to think we are giving this to God to please Him.   

So, why do I have a quiet time? Why do I tithe? And the biggest question for me: why do I go to church? Because I get to! I get to spend time with God everyday; I get to worship Him on Sunday mornings; I get to talk to Him whenever I want to. It is a privilege that I enjoy. And it doesn't make God mad when I don't. Now that is true joy.