What can save you?

Greetings bloggers!

(WOW! We had over 650 readers yesterday! If any of you have stuck around for today's post, thanks for stopping by! I'm really honored!)

I wasn't so sure about this post, but then after reading some of the comments that came up in yesterday's post, I felt like it was a fitting follow up.

I struggle with daily devotions. There, I've said it! I don't know what my problem is, but the act of getting into a habit when it comes to reading the scriptures on a daily basis eludes me. I'll get a good head of steam going for a while, maybe make it a couple of weeks of reading each and every day, but after a while the wheels fall off the wagon, and it becomes too hard to get caught up.

I don't know if it's the upbringing I've had, or the too many to count festivals and conferences, but I feel like a horrible failure every time I get off track. As a pastor, it's even worse. How could I possibly be expected to teach people about the scriptures if I can't convince myself to read it every day?

This morning as I was thinking over all of this, I was reminded that reading the Bible can't save me. I can read that book every day from now until eternity, but it will never save my soul. It's a proven fact.

I wonder how many things we think will save us that absolutely cannot. As was pointed out in abundance in the comments yesterday, the Church cannot save us. Our financial giving to the Church cannot save us. Our acts of charity cannot save us. Our political views cannot save us. Our love for our neighbors cannot save us. Our tolerance towards other faiths cannot save us. Our weekly church attendance record cannot save us.

We cannot save ourselves.

The truth is, the only thing that can save our souls is the incredible, excellent, surpassing, and overwhelming love of Jesus Christ. I've been kind of shocked at how quickly the people around me and I forget that. We're quick to throw people under the spiritual bus for having a spirituality that looks different from ours, but in truth, we can never take away the love Jesus has for us and for each and every one of our neighbors. That part is eternal.

So remember friends, you are saved by a loving God, not by your works, and not by your acts of righteousness. And remember too, that Jesus' love is so powerful, it covers the people who don't believe in him. (More on that tomorrow hopefully!)

Godspeed,

Jason