Life
There is this board game called the “Game of Life”. I played it as a kid and had lots of fun pretending to be someone else, with a fake job, fake family, fake money, etc… It was a bit of a reality check though because it made me think about what my life would look like someday.
I now live out the “game of life” every day. I get to make choices based on my values and my convictions. I know that as a believer, my systems and ideas with be directly opposed to what others believe in or think about. I’m good with that. It does not mean that I’m better than anyone else, or better off than anyone else. I just want to live with eternity in mind. This life is not all there is.
Paul enters into debate with some of the Jewish Christians and the non-Jewish (Gentile) Christians. He makes it really clear that we are saved because of Jesus, NOT because of good behavior on our part. Check this out…
15 “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles 16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. 17 “But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! 18 If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker. 19 “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:15-21 NIV)
This passage of scripture really blesses me personally because I’ve tried to be good and I’ve still failed. I’ve tried to do all the right things and still failed. Just because I’m saved by grace doesn’t me that I’m going to be a “hellion” going forward. I’m so thankful for grace that I want to honor the Giver of grace. I live for Him. I love because of Him. He sustains me. He directs me. He walks with me. He has saved me! I can’t imagine this game called life without Him!
Pressing On! Dwayne