It's Not About Me - Max Lucado [22]
Your salvation showcases God’s mercy. It makes nothing of your effort but everything of his.“I—yes, I alone—am the one who blots out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again” (Isaiah 43:25 NLT, emphasis mine). He saves us for the same reason he saved the Jews:
For my own sake and for the honor of my name I will hold back my anger and not wipe you out. I refined you in the furnace of affliction, but found no silver there.You are worthless, with nothing good in you at all.Yet for my own sake—yes, for my own sake—I will save you from my anger and not destroy you lest the heathen say their gods have conquered me. I will not let them have my glory (Isaiah 48:9-11 TLB).
YOUR SALVATION
SHOWCASES GOD’S
MERCY. IT MAKES
NOTHING OF
YOUR EFFORT BUT
EVERYTHING OF HIS.
Can you add anything to this salvation? No. The work is finished.
Can you earn this salvation? No. Don’t dishonor God by trying.
Dare we boast about this salvation? By no means.The giver of bread, not the beggar, deserves praise.“Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31).
It’s not about what we do; it’s all about what he does.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
MY BODY IS ABOUT HIM
11
You’re acquainted with house-sitters. You’ve possibly used one. Not wanting to leave your house vacant, you ask someone to stay in your home until you return. Let me describe two of your nightmares.
The house-sitter redecorates your house. White paint is changed to pink. Berber carpet to shag. An abstract plastic chair sits in the place of your cozy love seat. His justification? “The house didn’t express me accurately. I needed a house that communicated who I am.”
Your response? “It’s not yours! My residence does not exist to reflect you! I asked you to take care of the house, not take over the house!” Would you want a sitter like this?
You might choose him over nightmare number two. She didn’t redecorate; she neglected. Never washed a dish, made a bed, or took out the trash. “My time here was temporary. I knew you wouldn’t mind,” she explains.
Of course you’d mind! Does she know what this abode cost you?
Both house-sitters made the same mistake.They acted as if the dwelling were theirs. How could they?
Or, better asked, how could we? When it comes to our bodies, the Bible declares that we don’t own them. “You are no longer your own. God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 CEV).
Use your body to indulge your passions? To grab attention? To express your opinions? No. Use your body to honor God. “Use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God” (Romans 6:13 NLT).Your body is God’s instrument, intended for his work and for his glory.
The Corinthian Christians had serious trouble with this. When it came to the body, they insisted,“We can do anything we want to” (1 Corinthians 6:12 CEV).Their philosophy conveniently separated flesh from spirit. Have fun with the flesh. Honor God with the spirit.Wild Saturdays.Worshipful Sundays. You can have it all.
Paul disagreed. He dismissed the dichotomy. He reminded his readers that God interwove body with soul, elevating them to equal status.Your body is no toy. Quite the contrary.Your body is a tool.“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?” (1 Corinthians 6:15 NIV).
I remember seeing a sign on a mechanic’s toolbox that read: “Don’t ask to borrow my tools. I use them to feed my family.” Understandable request.To do his work, the mechanic needed his instruments. He needed them present and functional. When he looked for his wrench, he wanted to find it. When he pulled out a screwdriver, he wanted it to be clean. His work was important; hence his tools were important.
What work is more important than God’s? Doesn’t it stand