Here’s a controversial topic: personal responsibility.
This is a
subject that divides a lot of conversations, from politics to religion to
household chores and beyond.
Of course,
I’m going to veer into the spiritual side of things, hopefully it’s what you’ve
come to expect from me.
Where does
my responsibility to God begin and end versus where God’s begin and end? (Hint:
His load is greater.)
I used to
think it was my responsibility to work my way into Heaven; to earn my place
there – to be good enough to “get in”. But after reading that my own personal
righteousness (and yours) is as filthy rags to God (and let me emphasis that by
filthy rags, I mean used menstrual cloths. There’s a phrase I didn’t imagine
using in a blog post).
If all I could do to earn entry to the heavenly realm was as impressive as that kind of filthy rag, I knew I needed to find another way, if one could be found. Otherwise, that meant that Heaven was out of reach for all of us.
(from reddit)
There are
plenty of verses in the Old Testament that point to our Salvation, but He hadn’t
shown up on the scene in the flesh, just yet. The need for a redeemer – a Messiah,
was explicitly shown to the people of the Old Testament and there are plenty of
prophecies regarding the coming Christ.
The New Testament tells the story of that coming Savior and spells out the details of what was necessary from this Man, the Son of God Himself and His needed sacrifice to redeem us from sin and reunite us to Him – and His Father. These scriptures also reveal that salvation is not an end to the story of our need, but the beginning. Once we begin to live in the reality of the Cross, God fills us with His own Spirit. We become one with Him! The rest of the story is joyful adventures, even in the worst of situations. He is always with us, promising to never leave us alone.
(from choosethisday .com)
Jesus’s responsibility
was to provide the way for us to become one with Him and He CHOSE to do that.
He created us, knowing well the responsibility He endowed us with when He gave
us the right to choose our own destiny. He trusted us to choose wisely, knowing
we would fail. He CHOSE to take on the responsibility of making right our
wrongs.
He’s completed His part of the arrangement, having done all that was required of Him. The punishment for our sin was death (separation from His Father). He took that upon Himself so we wouldn’t have to suffer it. He, Himself paid our penalty. In His last breath on the Cross, He stated that, “It is finished.” The work on the Cross to redeem us had been completed. We cannot add to it.
(from etsy)
Now, it is
simply our responsibility to believe.
I say “simply”
- because He even made that possible by planting within us the faith it will
take to believe in Him. To us is given the measure of faith as a gift. We are
allowed to CHOOSE what we’ll do with that deposit of faith.
When we
accept His sacrifice for our sin and ask Him to forgive us, we become one with
Him. We’re guaranteed Heaven, but we also get to live life in this world filled
with His Spirit and with complete joy (which is our strength).
Our next
responsibility is to share the love and freedom we’ve found, to rescue the
lost, not condemn them.
It’s been said that the sin of the desert is to know where the water is and tell no one.
Once we acknowledge our need for a Savior, and allow God to forgive us, He can begin the wonderful work of healing us and delivering us from everything that’s held us captive, empowering us to live for Him, sharing His love with everyone around us. Once we allow Him to love us the way He wants to, we’ll want everyone to experience the freedom and grace and mercy we have.
(from instagram)
“God in
Heaven, I recognize my need for a savior. I choose You, Jesus. The world has
only trapped me more each day. I turn away from sin and into You. Forgive me
and accept me as I am and wash me clean, like Your Word promises You’ll do.
Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and with Your power so that I can edify Your body
here on earth and lead others out of captivity. Instruct me by Your Word and
lead me by Your Spirit, in Jesus’s Name. Amen.”
If you’d
like scripture references for anything I say, just ask!
