ME, MYSELF, AND I?

 PROPORTIONAL PECULIARITY OF EGO

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

  Romans 5:8-12 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

  Ephesians 2:1-10 And you hath he quickened [made presently and eternally alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

  Titus 3:5-7 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

  Looking back down our personal timeline we may think it was easy accepting Jesus as Savior. But truth be told, I, and probably a number of you, resisted trusting Jesus as Redeemer. Now enjoying His gift these many decades it’s easy to forget our resistance, even considering our finally agreeing with God entailing assuming some personal credit ours.

  To illustrate: “Once I understood I wasn’t so dumb as to reject Jesus as Savior.” = MY intelligence.

  To personally illustrate: I considered it obvious that it’s impossible to be good enough to go to heaven after death. At age 27 Bud Bond gave me literature detailing proofs that the Bible is God’s Word, not mans. Reading and realizing this truth I trusted Him.   

  My salvation was a result of good thinking?

  Though I once had the idea it was, not so, for it is impossible for us to accomplish present and eternal salvation through good works. Thinking is work, is it not? I trust not MY intellect for our ego-centric intelligence cannot redeem. (Lk.18:27; Heb.11:1-3) 

EBB4