"BY FAITH!"

Galatians 5:1-6                          (ESV)
"1 For freedom CHRIST has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, CHRIST WILL BE OF NO ADVANTAGE TO YOU.
3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.
4 You are severed from CHRIST, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.
5 For through the SPIRIT, "BY FAITH", we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.
6 For in CHRIST JESUS neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love."



For some, accepting a gift might prove to be a bit humbling, as one must accept that you did not earn the rewards being given to you.  The gift of our salvation is a tremendously example of that premise.  Most of us have something built inside of us that makes us want to believe we did something to merit our worth, or success.  The words "BY FAITH", however, categorically removes all works from the equation.

My mind always goes back to July 2007 when my brain hemorrhaged.  The first three days I was so heavily medicated I hardly remember anything.  The next 17 days I was put into a medically induced coma of which I remember nothing.  Medical records indicate that miraculous happenings occurred in those 21 days and nobody can take credit for them.  My neurologist called me "GOD-THING" for a few years after, for he knew that my healing was something no man had control over, nor can take credit for!

There is nothing any of us can do to improve the work JESUS CHRIST performed for all during HIS earthly ministry.  The Apostle Paul told the Galatians that circumcision would only return them to the "yoke of slavery" that THE LAW had them bound under.  Giving more money to the church, teaching more Bible Study classes, nor any other list of honorable things will not assist you in getting into Heaven.  Only "BY FAITH", if we believe, that JESUS did enough on the cross to pay for our salvation will we enter into eternal life.

Nobody can act good enough, nor can give enough money, nor can build enough buildings to impress the GOD who simply spoke the worlds into existence.  The only thing we can do to merit any reward is "BY FAITH" trust that JESUS is GOD's SON and HE is our ONLY hope of salvation!  There is a song titled "NO OTHER NAME BUT THE NAME OF JESUS".  If we believe in HIS name, "BY FAITH" we have eternal life!!!