Today's Passage - 2 Timothy 1 9-11

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english 2 Timothy 1:9-11   He has saved us and called us to a holy life-not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher.                  First, Paul says this grace was already planned before the beginning of time, not because of the Jews rejecting the gospel, before passing it to the Gentiles as if they were second-class believers. In fact, God has remembered the Gentiles before the beginning of time, and God does not show favoritism. God chooses the Jews as His chosen people not because of His favoritism but because God has to choose a nation on earth to fulfill Jesus' salvation, both the Jews and the Gentiles alike need Jesus' salvation.                  Next, the grace is in Jesus Christ, only through Jesus will this grace come to us. The bible says, "Salvation is found in no one else," the problems of humanity are due to "sin", sin is people's self-centered attitude. Once a person is self-centered, he alienates himself from God and his heart lost its peace; then he alienates from other people, bringing about hurt and resentment. It's impossible to deal with the problems of sin with one's own effort, the writer Lu Shun once said, "One cannot pull your own hair and lift your own feet off the ground, try it if you don't believe it". Because a person who lives within his own limit is unable to dissociate from his own self. Likewise, a person living in sin is unable to escape the bondage of sin; this is why God has to send Jesus to this world, to die on the cross for our sins.                  The phrase "in place of" can epitomize the entire gospel; Jesus took all of God's punishments for sin on the cross in place of us, finally this grace comes upon us; not because of anything we have done, but because of His own purpose and grace. Salvation is not one bit about what we are better than the others, so that we cannot boast, and we cannot be saved by our own deeds. Salvation is entirely due to the grace of God, because He chooses to love us, such that we can become His children as well as His servants. Do you understand the grace of God given to you? Together let us give thanks to Him.                Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, thank you, because not only you call us to become your children, you also give us the privilege to serve you. You so love us, give up yourself on the cross to fulfill this great salvation for us; we offer our hearts filled with thanksgiving and praise. We pray with thanks in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!