Friday, 9 November 2018

GOD-TRACKING IS NOT BY GOOD WORKS, BUT BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH


GodTracker 670
The e-devotional helping to keep you on-track with God’s plans for your life
GodTracker is published by
Sure Reality Media at surereality.net

All your good works will never be good enough to qualify you for heaven. Therefore, Jesus died in your place… Only his good works are good enough for a good God.”

Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God

A man arrives at the pearly gates. Peter says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I’ll give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you’re in."

"Okay," says the man optimistically, eyeing the rack of designer halos on the other side of the gate. "First off, I attended church every single Sunday."

"That's good,” says St. Peter, "that's worth two points."

"Two points?" says the man. "Well… er… I… I always gave 10% of all my earnings to the church. Does that count?"

"Hmm, let's see," answers Peter. "That's worth another 2 points. Anything else?"

"Two points!? Well, how about this: I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for the homeless."

"Fantastic,” said the gatekeeper, “that's certainly worth another point,".

The man ponders for a moment and then adds, "And I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, not even in my heart." Peter replied, "That's wonderful. Well done. Let’s see now, that’s worth another… three points!"

"Only three points!!" the man cries out. "At this rate the only way I’ll ever get into heaven is by the grace of God!"

"Ah, at last!” replied the heavenly gatekeeper. “Come on in, friend!"

You may smile, but it’s funny how we often think we can earn brownie points with God through good works. We do all the right things, give to disaster funds, help our neighbours and even attend a few church meetings or Bible studies. So, we think we’ll be okay on D-Day, when the final trumpet sounds and we face our God. After all, we were born into a good Christian home, believed in God and called Jesus Lord.

“Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven,” said Jesus. “Why do you call me, `Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?” You see, dear God-tracker, it’s not how many credits we earn by good works and sweet talk that makes us right with God, it’s by doing what Jesus commanded. For instance, Jesus said things like: “Come to me and I will give you rest,” and “No one comes to the Father except through me,” and “Unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom of God.”

All your good works will never be good enough to qualify you for heaven. Therefore, Jesus died in your place. Jesus is the only sinless and good person who has ever walked this planet – he is God in the flesh. Only his good works are good enough for a good God. When he died he took your punishment for sin, for the wages of sin is death. But Christ did not stay dead, he rose again. And that’s how I know Jesus was sinless, because death could not keep him down. And that’s the demonstration of God’s grace.

Only by repenting of sin, by believing in Jesus and calling him Lord can you ever be good enough to make it to heaven. Only in Christ, are you and I made righteous. The only way you’ll ever get into heaven is by the grace of God.

God-tracking is not by works, but by grace through faith.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

DON’T GIVE UP, LOOK UP & PRAY

As I have faith in you and come to you by your grace, I am made righteous before God

“Oh God, I confess that I have been trying to earn good points to be right with you. I’m very sorry and I admit that I was wrong. There is nothing that I can do that will be good enough to gain access to heaven, except to humble myself and come to you through Jesus. This I now do, O Lord. I lay down my good works and admit to my sin. I repent of all that I have done that has grieved you. I am weary of good works and come to you, just as I am, to find rest from my own efforts. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for dying in my place and taking my sin so that, as I have faith in you and come to you by your grace, I can am righteous before God. I rest in your grace, O Lord. Amen.”

If you desire more prayer, please email me - dudley@godtracker.co.uk

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What is GodTracker?
GodTracker is a weekly e-mail devotional based on the premise that God has a plan for our lives. His Word calls us to seek his plan by acknowledging him in all our ways and by tracking his purposes, in faith.

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