8/12/2023 0 Comments Did fortunato deserve to die![]() He demands that we forgive others ( Luke 6:37) and gives us the gift of forgiveness freely. When we put on the full armor of God ( Ephesians 6), we are able to withstand temptation without committing sins. Yet, since Jesus himself taught us to pray this way, we know that they are prayers that line up with our Father’s desires. They are essential, and still, more than we deserve. The Lord’s Prayer teaches us to ask for our daily bread, to be forgiven of our sins, and to not hold sins against others. ![]() Should we ask for these things? They are not inherently bad the evil comes from demanding them from God as our just deserts. Western society measures success according to wealth, occupation, whether or not one has a spouse or partner, and we frequently pray for these things. “You do not receive because you do not ask” for what? And in what manner should we ask? However, if the Lord were to pour out His justice on us, we could not stand.” Our culture has always taught us that if we work hard, we deserve to be rewarded.īy taking James 4:3 out of context, one gets the impression that the Lord wishes to fulfill our desires. “In our fallen condition, we are tempted to believe that God somehow owes us something other than justice. We often talk about fairness and what we deserve. Peter Gurry explains, “It’s shocking that we all deserve this fate, not one of us excluded.” Hell is a real place, and the worst part of spending eternity there is being separated from God without hope of reconciliation - ever. Yet, authentic believers have been spared. The truth according to Scripture is that we all, without exception, deserve to spend eternity in Hell because we sin against God every day. One whose life was marked by generosity should, in the world’s eyes, be rich by the time she dies or should at least live in a bigger mansion in Heaven than the one who submitted to God at the very end.īut this is suggestive of a transaction, and also implies the belief that humans believe they have the right to judge who belongs in heaven and who does not. But according to Scripture, “no one is good except God” ( Mark 10:8). Society, in general, cannot bear this kind of justice bad people do not deserve mercy. If a serial killer truly repented and gave his life to Christ 10 minutes before being put to death in prison, he would go to Heaven. The startling truth is that if the most generous, selfless person you met did not give her heart to Jesus, she would go to Hell because salvation only comes through Jesus. ![]() Their comfort comes from the Lord himself, and this is counted by the faithful as immeasurable, undeserved treasure beyond anything the world can offer. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (v.4). The faithful are poor and meek and they count blessings in terms of their relationship with God ( Matthew 5). Salvation is a gift of grace and it comes in one denomination there are no levels of salvation but a single measure for all who will receive it. No one earns salvation, so God does not modify payment on the basis of how long one has been a Christian. We believe it is fair to be paid by the hour, or for each item we produce, or according to some measurement of output. In earthly terms, this is counterintuitive. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?” ( Matthew 20:13-15). I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. “Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. Jesus never said, “you get what you deserve” or “you’ll get what’s coming to you.” Scripture has things to say about fairness and justice which, to a materially minded audience, are scandalous. ![]() Some Christians even think they deserve material privilege in this lifetime. We do not deserve grace, and yet Jesus never says such a thing to us even when we forget that we are not entitled to a place in Heaven based on personal merit. There is only one guarantee in the Christ-centered life and that is salvation by grace.
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