Written by Pastor Mark Driskill
September 20, 2011

Read Ephesians 2:4

“Because of the great love with which he loved us…”
The foundation of your salvation is the love of God for you.  You are not able to be saved because of anything less than that. You were not redeemed because of your potential or any virtue of your own. God did not save you because of anything he thought he could get out of you, even though he expects you to bear fruit in response to his great salvation. God did not save you because he particularly needed you.

His motive for saving you and me was purely and simply this, “Because of his great love…” Until you begin to operate on this ground you will always think you must do something to earn or keep your salvation. If you are working in order to stay saved you are missing the whole point of the cross.  If you could keep it, earn it, or maintain it, then calling it salvation would be absurd. That would be probation instead.

Jesus is not your parole officer with whom you must check in to avoid going back to hell. He is the one who in his great love did the unthinkable on your behalf.  He redeemed you from your own sinfulness.  When you finally realize that God had no good reason to save you other than his great love then you will be compelled to serve him, just because he is worthy. You will not serve him in order to get something or keep something, but to give something back. You will bear fruit that remains because it is born of love, not fear or religion.

Have you accepted the love God has for you? Or are you still hoping to become good enough some day. Or are you under the delusion that you have made yourself good enough after much discipline and church attendance, and now you must maintain your holy reputation in order to avoid losing all you have secured for yourself. Can you not see the lie in such thinking? As Paul wrote to the Galatians, “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3).

Take a moment and remind yourself that you stand on the solid ground of God’s eternal love, from which nothing can separate you (Romans 8).  Abide in his love today.

Pastor Mark Driskill
Web Minister of Begotten By the Word web ministry
See our website at http://ourchurch.com/member/b/bbtw
and
www.facebook.com (to group “begotten by the word”)
Begotten By the Word is a ministry of Helping Hands Christian resources-Evangelism Outreach
www.hhcr05.org
(Feel free to copy in any way that will bring glory to God and further his kingdom.)