April 19

We Can’t Earn Salvation

By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Ephesians 2:8–9, nkjv

On the hill of Golgotha, When Jesus was stripped of His physical clothes, the execution squad of soldiers divided what little He had between them—His belt, sandals, and other things. But when it came to His beautifully woven inner garment, they decided that instead of tearing it into four pieces, they would gamble for it. So while Jesus hung slightly above them, groaning in excruciating pain, they callously ignored Him and tossed the dice. (John 19:23–24) Their ribald laughter and the clatter of the dice as they were thrown made a sharp contrast to His pain-wracked sobs so near by.

People today still toss the dice for the robe of His righteousness. While coldly ignoring His death on the Cross, they gamble for His “robe” by betting their eternal lives on the chance that they can earn acceptance with God through their religiosity, or their sincerity, or their morality, or their philanthropy. But the only way to obtain it is to exchange it for your own filthy shreds of righteousness at the Cross.

Just Give me Jesus, (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2000).

©2012 Anne Graham Lotz. All rights reserved.


THE KEY TO A LIFE OF IMPACT

What are the secrets to a life of impact? Daniel achieved greatness in the eyes of his contemporaries, in the eyes of history, and most importantly, in the eyes of God. His faith did not waver as he faced his critics, as he served new kings in power, or even as he confronted hungry lions. How can we achieve that kind of faith today? Twenty intentional, key choices made all the difference. Daniel’s choices can be ours, such as:

•  The choice to listen
•  The choice to forgive
•  The choice to pray

Cultivate a life-changing faith when you learn to implement The Daniel Key into your everyday life. Request your copy!

For more from Anne Graham Lotz please visit AnneGrahamLotz.org.