Bailed Out
“For by grace are you
save through faith: it is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should
boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9
In Transforming Grace, Jerry Bridges describes
a bank principle that applies to us as believers. In
the business world, financially troubled companies forced into bankruptcy have
two options, known as Chapter 7 and Chapter 11.
Chapter 11 has to do
with what could be called “temporary bankruptcy.” This option is chosen by a basically
healthy company that, given time, can work through its financial problems. But
the business does not necessarily end.
Chapter 7 is for a
company that has reached the end of its financial rope. It is not only deeply in debt, it has
no future as a viable business. It is forced to liquidate its assets and pay
off its creditors. Often it only receives as little as 10 cents on the
dollar. The company is finished and the
owners and investors lose everything. When it comes to our relationship with
God, we come to the place where we realize that this applies to us
The idea is that
we are bankrupt or DOA (Dead On Arrival).
Then and only then, we find mercy.
We cannot be saved until we find that we have nothing to offer God. But this also applies to our changing or
sanctification. While we get saved under
Chapter 7…we operate like we’re Chapter 11.
In the
healing of the paralytic in John 5, we find his encounter
with Christ pressing Him to a recognition of limitations. He realized he was completely incapable of
walking. Yet, he soon finds Himself
briskly moving toward the temple. In
essence, when he does what Jesus tells him…he gets healed.
Essentially, as Paul would say in many
of His salutations, “Since Christ bailed us out, He owns us.” In Matthew 5,
Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” The idea of “poor” meaning
destitute or without any means. But we
can’t see that in a negative sense but we have to see it as our passport to new
life bringing health and wholeness to us.
Let Him make all the decisions and follow Him.
An encounter
with Christ brings a partnership. True
change only occurs when realize how little we can offer and how much He
truly offers. While we know that Christ gives the power, we are
obligated to hold up our own…simply by leaning on Him. Its amazing how capable we become when we
realize how incapable we are.
Terry Risser
Reflections:
1) Why do we struggle to admit our
spiritual bankruptcy?
2) How does it make us feel?
Consider reading the word today:
Copyright
2014- Terry Risser
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