WHO IS IN CONTROL OF YOUR SALVATION?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“There is a way which seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death.”
(Proverbs 14:12)

MEDITATION:
When we focus on the world and its ways, we can develop some incorrect
thoughts, can’t we? The world steers us toward self-sufficiency. We are
told that,
    “God helps those who help themselves”
We are told to,
    “Just do it”

We are told many other things that feed our desire to be in control at all
times. That is where the problem arises – we want to be in control. This
desire can lead us into believing that we must work at being righteous in
order to save ourselves.

Developing characteristics like honesty, kindness, compassion, gentleness,
patience, etc. are great goals. Striving to be righteous is a good thing, but
it does not lead to a type of ‘self salvation’.

God is the only One Who can save us; He is the One Who offers us His free
gift. The truth is, He helps those who CANNOT help themselves. If we are
not careful, we can allow the ways of the world to ‘seem right’ to us, but
when we do, we can suffer some devastating consequences.

Having confidence is a good thing, as long as it is pointed in the right direction.
For salvation, our confidence needs to be directed toward God’s Word. Why?
Because He clearly defines His gift of salvation along with the requirements
for receiving His gift. It says nothing about our being in control of our salvation;
it tells us instead that He is in control.

He is the One who has compassion for the failures of man and He is the One
who created the ONLY plan of salvation. We may have our own ideas of a
plan that ‘seems better’ to us, but we are NOT in control. The only area
where we are given control is in making our choice.

We can choose to accept His Word as truth and follow His plan of salvation
(which gives us life), or we can choose to follow our own concept of salvation
(which ‘seems right’, but leads to death).

ACTION:
Who is in control of your life right now? Is it God through the Holy Spirit,
or have you chosen self-control? Have you yielded to the control of the Holy
Spirit, or are you trying to work out your salvation. Developing self-control
is a great characteristic to have, but it should never exclude the Lord and His
plans for us.

We have seen the dangers of having a desire to be in control of our salvation.
We also need to be aware that after we have received salvation from God, we
should include His plans for us as a member of His family. God may lead you
out of your comfort zone at times, but allowing Him to have control can take
you on the most exciting journey you will ever travel. Our journey with Him
can result in some amazing blessings for us that the world could never match.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I realize that all my efforts to achieve salvation
on my own are in vain. You have given me the perfect plan of
salvation and it is the only path for me to take. I know that living
a good life is nothing when compared to Your Son, Jesus Christ.
It is because of Jesus and His sacrifice that I can come to You
with a full belief that what Jesus did on the cross has redeemed
me. Thank You God for loving me that much!”

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