Only by God’s Grace

 
           What is your earliest memory?  Perhaps you have been told about your childhood and maybe about your baptism.  There may be volumes of photo albums that record these moments and the passing years.  Seen this way,  life can appear to be a timeline of events from birth to death.  But, to what end?


           Most of us want this physical existence on planet Earth to be of some value.  We might even hope to be significant enough to leave a legacy.  But it's more likely that 100 years from now, not much about us will matter to this world.  So, what in our life does make a difference?

 John 3:5-6

Jesus answered,

“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born
 of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit."

           Is baptism the ticket to Heaven?  How could it be so easy when baptism is merely a tradition in some families?  Jesus tells of being "born of water and the Spirit" and that means we accept Him as Lord and Savior.  Entering God's Kingdom is a decision each individual makes for themselves.

           Kinship with God is only possible because of God’s grace.  We are all born into sin and there is absolutely nothing we, alone, can do about it.  God is righteous and we cannot be in His presence unless we are justified by faith.  That means we come to realize there is no way to die to our flesh.  We want eternal fellowship with God and so we accept his gift of Jesus, who paid the price for our sin, to be our Lord and Savior.  This baptism is based on our declaration of faith. 

             Entering the Kingdom of God establishes identity in Christ and guarantees our spiritual inheritance.  This is the good news!  But, for some reason not all eyes are opened and not all ears will hear.  It is God’s grace that enables any one of us to believe the gospel message.   We need to pray for God to open our eyes and the eyes of those we love.
 
             Very truly I tell you, 100 years from now it will matter that we were born of water and the Spirit!