IN TOUCH 9TH SEPTEMBER 2024 DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY DR. CHARLES STANLEY, MONDAY MESSAGE
TOPIC: Salvation: The Work of Our Sovereign God
SCRIPTURE READING: Ephesians 2:1-10
Salvation refers to the freedom gained when God rescues someone from bondage to sin and makes that person part of His family. It is a deliverance accomplished only through Jesus, who died in our place so we might be reconciled to the Father. This statement often evokes questions:
- If I try to live in a moral way, won’t God accept me? Questions like this assume that the Lord saves us on the basis of our conduct. But Romans 3:10 says, “There is no righteous person, not even one.” In God’s sight, even our virtuous acts, on their own, amount to nothing more than a filthy garment (Isaiah 64:6).
- Won’t the Lord accept us because of His goodness? God is loving and good, but He is also just. He won’t overlook sin, no matter how small we think it is.
- If we serve in our church or help others in God’s name, aren’t we part of His family? Good works do not solve our sin problem or reconcile us to God. Only Jesus does (Romans 5:1). Good works are an important result of salvation, not the basis for it.
Salvation is a work of God’s grace rather than the product of our effort. When we respond to the Spirit’s prompting, believe in Jesus, and are born again as God’s children, we can be assured of our place in heaven.
Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 40-42
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Only through Jesus are we freed from slavery to sin and made a part of God’s family.
Thank you for reading In Touch 6th September 2024 Daily Devotional. For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.