Quote from Forum Archives on April 3, 2003, 8:49 pm

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

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The Burning Bush Devotional
(Over 8,000 subscribers in 75 countries)

04.03.03

Salvation Then Works

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves;
it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are
His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:8-10.

Marine Lance Cpl. Jose A. Gutierrez of Lomita, California was a "green card
soldier" who had volunteered to fight for his adopted country. Sadly, Cpl.
Gutierrez died during the first three days of the war. The United States
has now granted posthumous citizenship to Cpl. Gutierrez who was from
Guatemala where he was orphaned as a young boy. He entered the U.S.
illegally in 1997. Why would someone not even a citizen join the Marines?
According to Gutierrez' foster brother, Gutierrez joined the Marines "to pay
back a little of what he'd gotten from the United States." There are now
37,000 non-citizens serving in the armed forces of the U. S.

The Bible makes it clear that you cannot be good enough or do enough good
things to make you worthy for Heaven. Why? The Bible says in effect that
if we could do that then we would all be boasting about all the good things
we had done when we arrived in Heaven - "it is the gift of God, not of
works, lest anyone should boast.

Why then would anyone want to do good works as a Christian if it does not
save you or work to facilitate your entrance into Heaven? It much like the
story of Lance Cpl. Jose A. Gutierrez. Gutierrez was not serving in the
United States Marines because he was compelled or because of a legal
obligation. Gutierrez was serving in the Marine Corps because of his great
gratitude for what the United States had done for him - "to pay back a
little of what he'd gotten from the United States."

After receiving freely the gift of eternal life from our God through Jesus
and being adopted into the family of God with all of the privileges of
belonging to the royal family of the King of Kings we feel great gratitude.
As a result of that great gratitude of the unmerited favor we have been
granted - good works begin to flow out of our lives. We have a new nature
(I Corinthians 5:17) that desires to please our Lord. It is not forced
labor. Instead it is a labor of great love and gratitude for the sacrifice
of our Lord that resulted in our salvation.

Have you been trying to work your way to Heaven? It will never happen.
Have you been trying to do more good things than bad things so the scales
will tilt in your favor bringing you salvation? You have been deceived.
Turn to the Lord Jesus and receive the free gift of salvation and then do
your good works out of the great gratitude for His wondrous mercy toward
you.

Copyright © 2003. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited.

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