One 


A leader of a prominent world religion said these last three words before dying; strive without ceasing.  Jesus said these last three words just before dying, it is finished.  One says work, one says rest.  One says earn it, one says it was earned for you.  One says it’s up to you, one says it was up to me.  One says keep working to be enough, one says you are enough.  One has a central concept that translates, incapable of satisfying. One’s central theme says I satisfied it all on your behalf so you are free to do good out of love not law.

Faith,Not Feats

3eec0d24125490b3a8f2123ff53708b0I am not good enough. I will never be good enough. I could never be a Christian because I can not get my act together to qualify. If you ever find yourself thinking these thoughts, you are right about all except the last one. You, NOR I will never be adequate, but Jesus was enough on our behalf. Being good enough is not and never was up to us. WE are perfectly acceptable and accepted as we are because He was and is sufficient, and He completed us by imparting His righteousness to us as a gift that we receive by believing. We are justified by faith, not feats. I hope you rest easy tonight knowing you are enough, friend! You are loved!

His Beloved

7f0a8a0c9816a9698be68c059c2ebef8To believe we are anything less than His beloved is to deny the work Jesus finished on the cross.  I do not want to do that, but I do everyday when I feel or say I am not enough. Jesus is enough in our place.  He is our worthiness.  He is our righteousness.   He is our adequacy.  Our work is to believe and live in the freedom of His gift.  That is hard work, but entirely possible when we are spiritually healthy!  Counter every negative thought today with, I am His beloved.  You are loved, friend.