Triple 10

I'd like to post a special devotional for the 10th day of the 10th month in the 10th year of the millennium.

Romans 10: 10

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

I am justified in God's eyes, because I believe in Jesus in my heart. I am saved, because I confess my sins with my mouth. Nowhere does it say that I am saved, because I volunteered at my church's youth ministry or traveled to Haiti. I am not saved because of what I do. (Amen!) I am saved because of what Jesus did. I am saved because I put my faith in Jesus, and I confess my sins. I have many sins to confess, but I am loved by God anyway. God's love is bigger than my mistakes. God's love is not contingent upon what I do for him. God's love me because I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139).

I was reminded of this at a Harbor-wide church service in Balboa Theatre downtown in Horton Plaza (a shopping mall). Harbor celebrated 10 years today at 10:00 a.m. Here is a link: http://www.harborpc.org/ If you click on the link, Mid-City is the site I attend.

Richard P. Kaufmann preached about being a gospel pace-setter. The first step in doing this is preach the gospel to yourself. His message was important for me to hear. He talked about his own personal sin, how he would beat himself up or try to implement specific techniques to stop worrying. I recognized that in myself. Recently, I feel like I'm in a washing machine. I go from beating myself up to trying strategies until I receive God's grace. Mr. Kaufmann reminded us the importance of preaching the good news to ourselves. Only when he confessed his sins and reminded himself of his own righteousness through Jesus did he feel peace.

Today is at least the second time I've heard the idea of living today as a thank-you note to Jesus. Before I set that as a goal, I think I'll continue to remind myself of the good news and let my joy flow outward, so I may love my neighbors.