What do the scriptures mean to us today?
"For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God....". Ephesians 2:8
Imagine it is your first day of school and you are nervous and shy and feeling completely inadequate. You're wondering whether or not you can cut it when the teacher walks in, looks over the class and says, "You all get A's". Before you've done or said or accomplished or messed up anything.
Becoming a child of God is so easy because Jesus has done all the work for us. That is the whole point of Jesus dying on the cross- so that you and I might lives ours life as forgiven children of God.
I grew up thinking that God's job was to make life hard for us; that God wants us to do this and especially not do that. That meant God took all the fun out of everything and expected me to be perfect and I was angry because I was not. I thought "I will never measure up".
Others of us have convinced themselves at some point that they are among the few who managed to do it right, to reach the mark, to meet God's unyielding standards; That they are somehow special.
The truth is, God has never been very choosy. He doesn't look for a diploma hanging on our wall. He doesn't care what our bank account balance is. He isn't interested in our wardrobe or where we go on winter vacation.
God cares about you, just you; regardless of who you are, what you have or what you do. God cares enough that He has provided for the forgiveness of our sins and a restored relationship with Him.
God's love is free, but it is not cheap. It cost Jesus His life. He suffered, bled and died for us. Becoming a child of God is so easy because Jesus has already done the work for us. That is was the whole point of Jesus dying on the cross. So that you and I might live as children of God