Acts 4:11-12 (NIV)
11“‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven
given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
One afternoon a little boy decided he would help his
father.
He had heard his dad say that "the car was low on
gas." Well, this little boy knew how to fill the tank. It wasn't
complicated. The boy had watched his father do it a hundred times.
With confidence, the boy removed the gas cap, got the
garden hose -- it was just like the hose at the pump -- and squeezed the hose
nozzle. (It, too, looked like the nozzle at the gasoline station.)
Next, the boy proceeded to fill the gas tank with water.
With a smile, he waited for his dad to start the car, to see the gauge that now
read "FULL," to thank him for his kindly efforts.
You know what happened. Dad tried to start the car. It
sputtered and died. And dad didn't say, "thank you."
It occurs to me that when people, organizations, churches
and pastors try to improve on the simple message of salvation that is ours
through the sacrificial death of God's Son, when they try to remake, remodel
and recycle the Savior, when they try to fill their souls with anything other
than the Lord's great love -- no matter how good their intentions might be --
they are creating a disaster.
* Far better for us to forget our attempts at improving
the Lord's plan of salvation, which gives life to the lost.
* Far better to let the Lord implement His complete,
total and excellent plan of redemption, which is ours through Jesus' life,
death and new life.
* Far better for us to set aside our upgrades and let the
Lord, who first had pity on sinners in the Garden of Eden, implement His
generous plan of salvation that is ours through faith in our Substitute, Jesus.
Anything we can do anything we can add, will only
confuse, corrupt and complicate the Savior's simple message. There is only one
way to be saved, only one way that bestows forgiveness and eternal life. There
is only one plan and that plan is defined by Scripture this way:
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under
heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
Dear Lord, we pray that we would see the error of what we
are doing. May we also the wisdom and insight to spiritually discern Your truth
from humankind's inventions. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment