“All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37).

We have been learning about the promises in the Bible. These promises are also known as covenants. The covenants we live under as believers are also known as grace, because they are not conditional on anything we do, only on the work of our LORD Jesus Christ. However, God’s covenants with Adam and Moses, as described in this year’s January 18 and February 8 Chaplain’s Corners, were works-based. They required perfect obedience to God and to the Law, which were impossible for man. Failure to be perfectly obedient resulted in the curse of death. While this sounds harsh, this points us to the perfect justice and mercy of God, who through by his grace, made a better way for us to be in relationship with Him.

Praise God for the covenants of grace, which pointed to a Savior who would save us from the curse of death. Jesus himself, as he was on the way to Jerusalem to be crucified, declared, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). This was his life mission. We first heard him declare it as a young man when he told his parents “And He said to them, ‘Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?’” (Luke 2:49).

As the Savior, Jesus is calling to us. The Apostle Paul heard the call: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25).

But salvation is not automatic. Jesus makes it possible; he has done the work. But we must receive this marvelous gift. Jesus can deliver us from the curse of eternal death and welcome us into the joy of eternal life with him, but we must open the door. Just say yes.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Rev. 3:20).

In Christ,

Judy