A Nugget from New Life Network
(by Dr. Larry Ollison)
Scripture for the Day Feb. 1, 2019
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. (Romans 6:12-15)
Recently I was speaking at a meeting and my wife, Loretta, was unable to attend. When I called her to touch base after the meeting, she asked me, “How did the meeting go?” And I responded, “Honestly, I think it was the best sermon I ever preached.” It was safe to say that since she wasn’t there! However, it is my personality to feel like every service is a great service and possibly the best of my life to that point.
One particular Sunday, however, after delivering one of those “best sermons I had ever preached” messages on the subject of grace, I was approached by a lady who said, “If you keep teaching grace, then all you are doing is giving people a license to sin.”
I’ve discovered over the years that if someone is going to sin, they don’t need a license. They’ll do it with or without one. God’s goodness is based on grace and faith, and not on our good works. But that does not give us the right to not do good works. If your heart is right toward God, then good works will still be a product of your life – but the good works will never be a payment to God for a gift received.
Ephesians 2:8 tells us that we are saved by grace and through faith. Then it goes on to say that it’s not because of our works. If we could say our works are what saved us, then we would become boastful and prideful and self-reliant. We must not be self-reliant, but we must be God-reliant. And while we are relying on Him for His grace and mercy to be manifest in our lives, we must be doing the works of the gospel out of love and a pure heart.
Since Jesus has paid the price in full and completed everything that needs to be done, the only thing left for us to do is to believe and rest in the assurance of His work. By spending time with the Father in prayer and worship and letting the world see His love in us, the work is completed (John 6:29).
So even if you have a personality like mine, and you feel that everything is going great, it’s only God’s goodness and greatness that counts. Do we get what we deserve? No, when we’re God’s children, we get what He deserves.
