It's All About Jesus And All About Grace

(Heads up - there is a good bit of scripture in today's devotion - but you need to read all of it!)

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. - 1 John 1:7

It was Jesus sacrifice - His shed Blood - the blood of the Lamb that has made our salvation possible.

Therefore he [Jesus] is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death [Jesus death on the cross] has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. .... For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. - Hebrews 9:15,19-22

I was chatting with a friend the other day about the role of water baptisms in the life of a Christian. Why we do water baptism ( one of the two sacraments - Water Baptism and the Lord's Supper) is because it a visual and audible testimony to the world that we have - confessed with our mouths that Jesus is Lord [ the Christ - the Son of God] and believe in our hearts that God [the Father] raised Him from the dead and so, we have been given eternal life which is a spiritual matter - not a physical one. We have been born again by the Spirit.

Jesus had to die - shed His innocent blood - for us who are sinners - so we might find forgiveness by faith and not works. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. - John 3:16-17

Water baptism does not save us - that would be works. That happens after our new birth. Think about this, the thief on the cross could not have been with Jesus in Paradise had he needed first to be baptized with water to go to heaven. He died on his cross.

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— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:4-10 

Salvation is not Faith in Jesus plus something - but faith in a resurrected Jesus - the Christ - the promised One - the first born of God the Father. And that my friend is Good News! In Christ alone, my hope is found. He is my hope, my strength, my all!

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone