TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
Read: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Listen: 2 Corinthians 5
TODAY’S MESSAGE
The Apostle Paul reminds the early church that they can’t earn God’s love. It’s not about what they accomplished but what Jesus accomplished for them on the cross. Jesus takes what was theirs, and ours, upon himself. Everything we say, do or think that goes against God has been placed upon Jesus. He takes the penalty on our behalf, and our sin no longer counts against us (2 Corinthians 5:19).
When we place our faith in what Jesus has done for us, God sees us as righteous. The good news is this “double transfer.” Jesus takes what we have (sin) and gives us what he has (righteousness). Jesus has brought everything, and we bring nothing. We are acceptable to God because of what Jesus has given us. It’s about what Christ has achieved for us, not what we achieve for God. We have a mountain of debt we cannot pay off, and Jesus has paid it for us.
It’s natural for us to forget what Jesus has already done for us and fall into a pattern of trying to earn God’s love. We may not remember our position before God in Jesus and perform for his approval. When we’ve placed our faith in Jesus and his death that paid the penalty for our sins, God sees us as he sees Jesus—completely pure, holy and right before him. It’s a gift we choose to accept. Watch this video clip as Pastor Jeff Manion explains this transfer.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
If you’ve never accepted Jesus’s gift of salvation from sin… now is a great time to do so. You can tell God you believe Jesus paid the penalty for your sin and that you cannot achieve it on your own. If you’ve placed your faith in Jesus, consider if you’ve fallen into a pattern of trying to earn his love. Thank God that through Jesus, you are fully loved, forgiven and accepted. If you want to know more about following Jesus, please email us at btw@adabible.org. We’d love to have a conversation with you.
2023 SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
Join us all of 2023 developing a different spiritual practice each month. SPIRITUAL PRACTICES are intentional regular activities to deepen our relationship with God and mold us to be more like Jesus.
February is SABBATH. Keep track of our spiritual practices at beyondtheweekend.org/spiritualpractices.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
