Bible Study Verse
Romans 5:1-2
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. (NIV 2011)
Thoughts
The place: Wrangell, Alaska. The vessel: The Navigator, piloted by my cousin, Rob. I have been on several boats on the ocean, mostly scuba diving. This time we (Rob, five friends, and the deck hand, Caleb) were on a fishing boat headed out for five days in a secret spot that only Rob and the halibut knew about, or so Rob had promised us.
The morning we were to head out dawned with a dense fog that severely limited our visibility. It was that way until about 10:00 in the morning. As we pulled out through the fog and into the open sea on the way to the secret spot, I had to put my complete faith in Rob's skill as a skipper. I didn't know where the channel and underwater rocks were. I didn't know how to utilize the depth finder or the GPS system. I had never seen an oceanic navigational chart before. And, there was absolutely nothing I could do to help Rob that would make our trip safer. But, I had complete confidence in Rob's skills and judgment. Therefore, I was at peace as we headed out, and was excited about the week's adventure that lay ahead. By the way, the halibut were there.
(Cliff S)
Action Point
Jesus and the Apostles taught very clearly that there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation, that it is a gift from God. I am so glad it is this way.
I can't imagine what I could do to make myself worthy of God's love and forgiveness. And, could you imagine what it would be like if we had to earn our salvation? We would never know for sure if we had worked enough. We wouldn't know if our good deeds outweighed the bad. We would never be able to be at peace with God during our life here on earth not knowing for sure if we were good enough to win His favor.
Praise God, that isn't the way it is. Jesus said that if I believe in Him and have faith that He has forgiven me of my sins, that I am saved from an eternity of separation from God in a place called hell. And, I can be at peace with God and can be sure of my salvation now because of the promise of His grace, not because of my works, but because of my faith! I like being at peace, don't you?
Sportsmen's Tip of the Day
Be sure to check the references of the guide with whom you are going to hunt of fish. It doesn't always guarantee a good experience, but it will help to keep the guide honest in his representations to you if he knows that you're going to be verifying his claims.
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