The movie "Saving Private Ryan" ends with Captain Miller(Tom Hanks’ character)sitting near a bridge after an attack by German forces. His life is ebbing away as he pulls Ryan (Matt Damon)down toward him.
Struggling for breath he whispers, "Earn this, earn this."
As Ryan stands his face morphs back into the present as a senior adult searching for Miller’s cross in the cemetery. Crying he turns to his wife and says, "Tell me I’m a good man."
Many people may believe that Christ died for them, but they have an attitude that Christ told them, "Earn this." They spend their lives through religion trying to receive validation so that people will tell them, "You are a good man or a good woman."
Grace is realizing that we can never earn Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross. Our lives should reflect thanksgiving for what he has done instead of validation for being a good person. We can never earn salvation. We can only receive it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
i thank God that i don't have to "earn" my salvation that he paid for it in full! and i praise him that he validated me as one of his own that day.
Post a Comment