Grace

For those of you who don't know, I have coached my son's baseball team for the last 4 years. I love getting to be out there with the kids, and enjoy getting to teach them the basics of the game. Baseball to me is very unique in the sense that the thing that helps the New York Yankee's win so many ball games, is the same thing that will help the Highview "Golds" win, a grasp of the fundamentals. For a baseball player every spring starts the same from the time they first put on their gloves until they make it to the Major League, a review of how to field, how to hit and even how to run the bases. It is not as if these players forget, but it is always good to be reminded of the essentials of the game.

The same could be said of us, spiritually speaking. Many of us have been around this "game" a long time, while others of us might be rookies. It doesn't matter what your experience level is a review of the fundamentals is always a good thing. Last week we started taking a look at the book of Galatians and talked about how important grace is. To say that it is important is kind of like saying that a ball is important to baseball. Without it, there is really no game at all. Ephesians 2:8 tell us that, "For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is a gift from God". Without grace we cannot have access to Jesus, without Jesus, there is no salvation. Salvation is not dependent on us or our actions, it is totally dependent upon God and His grace. We live in an age that wants to celebrate the accomplishments of the individual, when it comes to our salvation the only celebration that is possible is worship of the One who did it all for us. Fundamental number one for Christianity, it's not about you-its all about him. Let us together live lives that point others toward the answer they are seeking. What can I do to get to God? Call out for HIS mercy and HIS grace, your actions will only result in more errors.
Ed