Being a Christian is not about what we deserve. If it were, it would be terrifying. The Bible and experience teach us that we’ve all shaken our fists at the Lord in stubborn rebellion (e.g., 1 Kings 8:46; Psalm 143:2; Romans 3:10-20, 23; 1 John 1:8, 10). Defiance of the Holy God is an infinitely heinous crime deserving of an infinitely intense punishment. And that is terrifying!
In our culture we’re used to operating on the basis of deserving: the grades we get, trying out for the team, getting a promotion, qualifying for a loan, etc. Even in the home (sad to say) people often practice “performance based acceptance.” Reward for merit is how many people think and relate to one another.
But Christianity is not about deserving—it really isn’t. (That’s one reason it’s so hard for many to accept: people want to work for their keep; we “don’t take handouts” but insist on the ego-boost of independent achievement.) God’s mercy, in fact, is extended precisely to the undeserving: to rebels who have given up the self-exalting way of duty and accepted the God-exalting way of grace! “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The Good News is this: “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God loved, he gave—he saves! Our response is simply to “believe”—that is, to come to the Lord with empty hands, trusting in his unwavering love to rescue us from our guilt and lostness, and to give us life, true and eternal life.
Are you ready to give up on deserving and rest in Jesus’ strong arms? Or do you insist on striving for merit pay? In the economy of heaven, the only currency worth anything is mercy. And it’s free! Will you trust Jesus today? Will you pray to him, confessing your sin, and asking for his gift of salvation? His arms are open.
