Longing for Hope? Look More Closely at God’s Grace

Posted on Jul 07, 2016 Topic : Inspirational/Devotional, Men's Christian Living, Prophecy, Women's Christian Living
Posted by : Randy Alcorn

“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”
—Titus 3:5

In 1987, 18-month-old “Baby Jessica” fell 22 feet into a Texas well. Rescuers labored nonstop to save her. After 55 grueling hours, her life hanging in the balance, they finally extracted her from the well. The nation breathed a sigh of relief and cheered the heroes.

Note that what happened was not this: “Baby Jessica clawed her 18-month-old body up the side of that 22-foot well, inch by inch, digging in her little toes and working her way up. She’s a hero, that Jessica!”

Baby Jessica was utterly helpless. Her fate was in the hands of her rescuers. Left to herself, Jessica had no chance.

When it comes to our salvation, we’re utterly helpless too. That’s God’s grace: “At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6).

We get no more applause for our redemption than Baby Jessica got for being rescued. God alone deserves the ovation. He’s the only hero. And it didn’t just cost him 55 hours of hard work—it cost him everything.

At the very center of grace, at the center of the universe itself, is the person and work of Christ. If you have not yet cried out to God and confessed your sins and placed your faith in Jesus, you can do so, by his grace, right now. Nothing could be more important!

I do not doubt for a moment I will be going to Heaven. For it is dependent on him, not on me. I thank him for his assurance that what he has done for me is far greater than what I have done against him.

If it depended on me, I would have no hope. Because it depends on Jesus, I have nothing but hope.