Saved By Grace

EPHESIANS 2:8-9
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't
take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done,
so none of us can boast about it.

Being saved, and in right standing with God, is a gift! It is
something we don't deserve, but is freely given to us anyway.

We cannot earn it no matter what we do. Deliverance from the
curse, and right standing with God, is available only as a free
gift.

ROMANS 11:6
6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works,
otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

It is not what we have done that matters, but what Jesus did
for us. He was our Substitute, suffering what we deserved, so
we could receive what He deserved as a gift.

God Himself has done what is necessary for us to be saved and
be in right standing with Him. Now we must believe in what God
has done, and thank Him for it.

ROMANS 4:5
5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their
work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.

People all over the world try to be right with God by what they
do: rituals, sacrifices, and devotion. But the Bible reveals we
cannot be right with God by our own actions -- it is a gift we
must receive.

ROMANS 3:20
20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the
law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

By keeping the law it is impossible to be right with God,
because no human being can keep it by their own effort. We have
all sinned, according to the Bible.

ROMANS 3:23
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious
standard.

God does not grade on a curve. All have sinned and come short.
So we all need a Savior.

ROMANS 10:9-10
9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe
in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be
saved.
10 For it is by believing in your heart that

Your Body Is Your House

2 CORINTHIANS 5:1
1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is
destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens.

The "real you" is not your body. Your body is just a house you
live in so you can function here on earth.

Just as someone can change houses where they live, you can, and
will someday, leave your body and still exist.

We focus too much on our body. The inner part of us is most
important. These bodies we live in are not eternal.

It is not wrong to take care of our bodies, any more than it is
wrong to take care of the house or apartment where we live. It
is a mistake, however, to spend all our time on our body and
neglect our spirit and mind.

1 TIMOTHY 4:8
8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of
value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life
and also for the life to come.

Who a person is on the inside is more important than what their
body looks like.

We judge too often on the house (body) that people live in,
instead of focusing on the real person living inside that body.Be blessed.

Put God First

MATTHEW 22:37-38
37 Jesus said to him, "`You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 "This is the first and great commandment.

The most important command is to love God with all your being.
As with all His commands, God does not give this for His
benefit, but for your benefit. Putting God first will bless
you, improving your life and well-being.

Loving people, while important, is only secondary according to
Jesus. In practice -- because God loves people -- loving Him
will result in you loving people also.

When you get your priority backward -- putting people and their
needs first -- you miss God's plan, and will be relatively
ineffective in helping people -- compared to what you could
have been if you put God first.

MATTHEW 6:33
33 But more than anything else, put God's work first and do
what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.

Determine to follow Jesus and obey Him. Don't allow anything
other than Jesus Christ to be your highest priority.Be blessed.