Because of His Mercy

April 4

There is no way fallen man can impress God or gain His favor. There is no way any mere mortal can, of his own strength or ingenuity satisfy the just requirements of our Holy God—requirements that necessitate holiness prior to attainment of salvation, prior to gaining access to the throne of Heaven.

There are countless routes that men have contrived in order to attain whatever vision of heaven appeals to them. They will sacrifice, they will endure self-imposed suffering—anything their minds can conceive—in order to secure their place in eternity. But all man’s wishful schemes to gain heaven’s favor are futile.

There is only one rational answer to the quandary posed by the fact that He who is Holy desires fellowship with we who are fallen. The One whose requirements are far beyond man’s ability to attain, must fulfill them Himself. “There is only One Mediator between God and man, the Man, Christ Jesus” I Timothy 2:5. Jesus came to fulfill God’s just requirements of man.

We are not saved because we are worthy. We are not saved because we are able to bridge the gap between our sin and God’s holiness. No. It is as stated in Titus 3:5, “God our Savior saved us, not because of righteous things we had done but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and by the Holy Spirit.” Man’s salvation is God-initiated and God-accomplished.