Aren't You Glad it Isn't Up to Us?

In our Family Bible Studies on Friday
nights we are studying the Great Men and
Women of the Bible.
Yep! Perfect they were...
Noah, Rahab, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob...

O.k, so they weren't perfect.
But they were chosen to complete
a plan put in place by God, their
Creator.

I think it is amazing that God shows us
the flaws of these people that He has set
before us as examples of faith.

Noah...got drunk and behaved terribly in his
later years.

Rahab...was a prostitute when we first met her.

Abraham....got impatient and tried to "help God"
with "the plan" by having a son by his maidservant.

Isaac...played favorites with his twin boys and lied
when he called his wife his sister out of fear.

Jacob...was a schemer and a thief.

All of these people are saved by Faith in God
and were used to accomplish His purposes.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
From Ephesians 2

Praise the Lord, that even though my life doesn't
reflect the obvious nasty sins listed above, the
genuine sins that do exist are forgiven and
covered by the blood of Jesus.
My sins are every bit as damaging to an
eternal life without a Savior.

Never would I pretend to be perfect.
Neither can any other human being on the planet.
We know that about ourselves.

We also know that our hearts don't seek
the Lord...but He seeks His own sheep,
He finds His own Sheep, and He cares for
those same sheep.

I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." John 10: 1-18

Jesus spelled it out pretty clearly when He said in John 14:6 "I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE....NO MAN comes to the Father BUT THROUGH ME." Yes, I added the emphasis. It is critical that we not think there is any way but this.

I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.Isaiah 61:10

In all of this I give Him the Praise and
all of the Glory.

He is good...
all the time!

Our salvation is His work.

How is it looking in Your life?

You don't have to answer that to me.
I am available to answer questions or
pray with, or for you, though.
Feel free to email me at
beckykcandles (at)gmail.com.