Daily Thought: Hope for the Hopeless

Let's face it: At times, life seems hopeless. As a Christian, you, like me, may experience this train of thought often. But hear this: When life is hopeless, there is hope.

Contradiction? Thanks be to God, no. See, our sin can seem so dark and nasty (which it is), our condition so abominable (which it is), that we fail to believe God would or even can still extend kindness to us (which He can and will). But again, should the Lord have shunned us based on our pathetic performance, we would all be in Hell.

The grace of God is infinite and is ever-extended to us all--until the end of the earth. Amen.

The Simplicity, Mystery, and Uncluttering of the Gospel

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— [...] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

~ (Ephesians 2:4-5, 8-9 ESV)

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Why is it that the simplest of things are the easiest to forget? Should it not be the other way around? But our minds are, for some reason, drawn to figuring out that which is complex or mysterious.

We can treat the Gospel the same way - as a complexity which we must figure out--a mystery game which we must play perfectly to get the prize at the end. But God is merciful: How the Gospel works is no mystery and He intended just that.

The Gospel is this: Christ died for the forgiveness of our sins and we need nothing more. The Father sees the righteousness of His Son alone when He looks at us--and He will have nothing more.

Anselm said, "The Glory of the Gospel is this: The One from Whom we needed to be saved is the One Who has saved us." Better yet, God's Word says in Ephesians, "by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:5b).

The only "mystery" about the Gospel is the unfathomable fact of Who did it--that God's one and only Son would be sent by the Father, would step down form glory, would die for the sins of mankind who was completely lost and against Him. Mystery, in this case, must be prefaced with mercy!

Clutter keeps us from accepting the simplicity of the Gospel - that grace is actually, absolutely, and completely free. So shove the clutter off the desk of your mind and lift your eyes to the cross. Admire the simplicity. Thank Him for His complete mercy!

"O, come let us adore Him,
O, come let us adore Him,
O, come let us adore Him--Christ, the Lord!"

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Challenge and Application Questions

• Do you tend to over-analyze?
• How do you tend to bring this into the Gospel?
• Will you challenge yourself to think simply?
• What has helped you remember the Gospel in light of all that tries to draw your attention from it?

Daily Thought: Note to the Soul

To my soul: Should the Lord have shunned one man--any man--based on his performance, whether in good deed or battle against sin, you would have already been long gone prior--for you are the worst of sinners!