Christian devotion - Life's Greatest Gift - Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8-9          For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.

            If ever there was a Christian who did a lot of great works and fulfilled many mighty tasks for God, it was the Apostle Paul. After his conversion on the road to Damascus, he spent the rest of his life sharing the Gospel, planting new churches, and writing inspirational letters which have largely shaped our faith for over 1900 years. He was an exceptional servant of Christ and an amazing church leader, the likes of which we shall probably never see or experience again. If Heaven was only granted to us through what we do, then Paul could stand at the very beginning of the line of billions of people waiting to get in.

            And yet, even with all of the great and important things he fulfilled, Paul understood that his salvation did not depend upon what he did, but it absolutely hinged on everything that Jesus accomplished.

            The gift of Heaven comes to us through Christ’s grace. We are saved because He allows us to be forgiven and restored to God. Without Christ, we would end up being eternally separated from God; with Christ, we are uniquely given the promised opportunity of entering God’s everlasting and loving presence. Salvation is not awarded to us because of who we are or what we have done; salvation is given to us because of who Christ is and what He has fulfilled. His crucifixion has given us forgiveness; His painful death has granted us everlasting life.

            Today, we should all feel blessed to be Christians and cheerfully share that blessing with others – our families, friends, neighbors, and colleagues – for in the end, isn’t this the gift that everyone is looking for at the end of their lives?

Questions for personal reflection

What do the words ‘salvation’ and ‘grace’ mean to me? How have I experienced them in my life?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of grace and the opportunity of salvation. Remind us each day that these promised gifts are real blessings in our lives. Give us the courage to share these blessings with our loved ones and others. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Today’s image is one of his latest Pentecost drawings. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Pentecost.

Lent devotion: Sorry to God - Luke 7:48

Luke 7:48      Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” (NIV)

            There is not a day that goes by that I do not end up saying “Sorry” to God. There is not a Sunday in worship, when the prayers of confession are read and said, that I don’t feel guilty and in need of those prayers. Some folks would say that this is because of my Presbyterian Calvinist roots; however, I personally know it’s because I am a sinner who falls short of God’s standards, day after day, week after week, and year after year.

            Without Christ, there could be no forgiveness for any one of us. He was given total authority from God to pardon our mistakes. He compassionately listens to our personal pleas, especially when we humbly and honestly confess our mistakes to Him. He helps us overcome temptation, but He also is willing to forgive our faults when we recognize them.

            This forgiveness from Jesus can also be found in the Gospel story (Luke 7:36-50). The heartbroken woman who cried at Christ’s feet must have been carrying a lot of guilt, perhaps for many years. She saw in Jesus the source of her salvation. She recognized her unworthiness, but at the same time she clamored for His Holiness. She understood what the host of the house had failed to see: that Christ was the Only One who could forgive her, save her, and restore her as a beloved child of God’s grace.

            At the end of today, like many other Christians, I will remorsefully come to God and ask Jesus to forgive me. There is no other person or power that I can appeal to for real mercy. There is no other source or entity that I can pray to for total absolution. And at the end of my confessional prayers, from within my mind and heart, I feel the same beautiful words of Christ being conveyed to me, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Question:      When and how do I ask Christ to forgive me? Am I willing to see that same forgiveness at work in the lives of other people?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, You are the Savior of the world, as well as our individual souls. You allow us to come to You each day to confess our faults in order to receive Your grace. Thank You for this blessing, as well as for Your patience and love. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called “Mountain Hummingbird.” If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on this link: Bird.

Salvation Devotion: Texting

Matthew 11:19         “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”

            Traffic on the interstate to church this morning was very busy, so I had be doubly alert about the vehicles around me. I hoped that the other drivers were doing the same until I noticed that the car behind me was getting very close to my own. From my rear view mirror, I could see the cause – the young woman behind me was busy texting as well as driving. No doubt she thought that she was multi-tasking and that her message was very important. Unfortunately, she was causing me to speed up and the drivers around her to do the same. She didn't know it, but she was also weaving in her lane. Thankfully, no accident occurred, but if she keeps doing it then one day she will probably cause a terrible crash.

            In today’s highlighted verse, Jesus said that ‘wisdom is proved right by her actions.’ Throughout my life I have found that to be the case, especially in Church world. The wisest people that I have known have usually been focused faithfully on ministry or mission, or have regularly participated in worship, study groups or classes.

            Much of what I do is in the preaching and teaching realm of Church world. I can’t make people do the right faithful things, but I can offer them Christ’s words and God’s guidance. However, much like the young woman who thought that she can text and drive at the same time, some people are going to do what they want to do and believe what they want to do believe. The trouble is this: they are potentially going to lose their salvation by doing their own thing, going their own way, and believing what they want to accept.

            ‘Wisdom is proved right by her actions.’ If God offers salvation to those who truly believe in Jesus, would it not be wise to do something about it now, on this side of eternity? Almost saved, as the old preachers used to say, is the same as not being saved. Almost getting it right has the same consequences of getting it totally wrong. As our young people would say: YOLO – You Only Live Once – which is absolutely right, but it also comes with this caveat: you only have this opportunity to be saved by Jesus before death; after we die, even Christ cannot change things.

Questions for personal reflection?

Am I saved? If not, what am I going to do about it?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, Your teachings in the Gospels are mostly about making the right decisions in different circumstances and ultimately about making the One Great Choice to be saved by You. Enable us to diminish our pride, so that we may humbly accept You as our only Savior and Lord. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of my latest paper sculpted drawings called ‘Caledonian Soul.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Cross.

Christian Devotion: The Seventh Trumpet - Revelation 11:15

Revelation 11:15         The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign for ever and ever."

Just as all things have their beginnings, so all things must end. The universe that we see all around us, especially in the night sky, will one day be starless and lifeless. The Milky Way, with its billions of stars, will no longer exist, and the Solar System that is home to our beautiful planet will be no more. All life will end and even humanity will be terminated.

As Christian people, we believe that the end of all things will actually come when Christ returns to Earth and He truly becomes King of our planet and Lord of our Lives. His Kingdom will be firmly established and His Sovereignty will be ceaseless. Nations and governments, peoples and races will all end. Those who are Christ’s followers will be part of the new Creation, the new World, and the new Kingdom that is to come. This will be the reward for those who remain faithful to Him throughout their lives on Earth. This will be the final destination and outcome of all who believe in Christ as their Savior, Lord, and King.

Wishful thinking will not get anyone there. Unrepentant people and disconnected hearts from God will not abide in the new Heaven and the new Earth. And no matter how unfair or how unpleasant this may sound, this is how it is. God’s sovereignty is not diminished by our partiality. Christ’s Kingdom is not compromised by our cultural beliefs.

The mission of the Church is, and always will be, Christ’s means of bringing sinners to salvation. Everything else is incidental, no matter how good, how great, or how glad it seems to us. Without salvation, a trillion good deeds ultimately mean as much as a trillion finite stars. Without salvation, a zillion good intentions still amount to zero. When the End finally comes, without salvation, there will be no new beginning. We can kick and fuss, complain and protest as much as we like, but when the Final Day arrives, only one thing will be important: our salvation in Christ.

Questions for personal reflection

Have I really repented of my sins and truly confessed them to Christ? Do I take my salvation for granted, or do I truly know that only Jesus is my Savior?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we all want to be saved and welcomed into Your Kingdom. Some of us have become careless with our Christian faith and sloppy with our ideas about salvation. Forgive us for forgetting the ultimate truth about Your presence in the world and Your ministry to all people. In Your Holy Name, we repent and pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Communion drawings called “Cup of Salvation.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Cup of Salvation.