JUST ASK

During a lull in the Spanish-American War of 1898, Colonel Teddy Roosevelt went to a nurse named Clara Barton. Politely he said, “I have men who are sick and wounded in my regiment. They need the delicious treats that you of the Red Cross have. I’m ready to pay for them out of my own pocket.”

“Not for a million dollars,” came the reply. “All you have to do is to ask.”

Salvation is like that. We cannot buy it or earn it, work to attain it, nor expect to inherit it from a parent or relative. We must ask for it with sincerity and the simple faith of a small child.

When offered a gift, we must accept it if we want to receive it. God’s salvation, through Jesus Christ, is like that. It is offered to us as His gift. But, we must ask for it if we want to receive it. Even the faith to accept His salvation is a gift. But we must ask for it to receive it.

Perhaps the most concise definition of how a person is saved is contained in the words: “By grace are you saved through faith – which is a gift from God.” Our salvation comes from God’s grace and our trust in what He did for us through His Son. As Christians, we live and die depending on God’s grace, that includes His love, mercy, faith, salvation, and hope.

Prayer: Father, we are grateful for the gift of Your grace. In faith, we reach out to You, trusting in Your Word and Your salvation. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Scripture For Today:   God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8-9