Trust is earned... Salvation is not

Do you remember the story of the little boy who cried wolf? The boy was guarding the sheep, and he was supposed to call out if a wolf came, so the villagers would come to save the sheep. The boy cried "wolf" 2 or 3 times when there was no wolf. The villagers came, were disappointed, and when the wolf actually showed up, it didn't matter how many times or how loudly the boy cried "wolf", they didn't trust him enough to come and help... and the sheep were attacked. Trust is earned.

Most kids are like my kids. They want you to trust them, but they make choices that kids their age tend to make that make it hard to trust them. They will say, "I'll change," or "I'll be different next time," or "Why don't you trust me?" Trust is earned.

In John 2:24-25, we learn that Jesus did not entrust himself to the new believers because he knew the nature of man. If Jesus had entrusted himself to sinful man, he would have gotten off course and he would not have been able to save us. He knew that we could not - in our present condition - save ourselves, so he entrusted himself to His Father, God, and he went to the cross and died for you and me. Trust is earned, and Jesus can be trusted even if we cannot. When you admit that you can't save yourself - that you'll NEVER be good enough - then you can find the salvation in Jesus Christ that is freely offered. Trust is earned... Salvation is not earned, but it is freely given to all who call on the name of the Lord (Romans 10).

We are not saved because of what we do (earned)... we are saved because of what Jesus did (trust).

Why Won't God Help Me?

This past Sunday, the message was a very difficult one. Why is it that it seems God doesn't help us when we ask him? Are we asking the right questions of God? Is it wrong for us to ask God for help at all? The big question is, "If God's purpose is bigger than mine, is it OK for me to ask something that might seem trivial to God"? I know that God has my best interest at heart, and that his provision is always best. I know that his power is greater than my ability. But I also know that he promised through the psalmist, "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4). So am I supposed to keep asking God for help? This is a difficult topic, but one that is important.

One final note... It is in the asking and corresponding with God that we build relationship with him. If he was just a big cosmic Santa Claus who gave us whatever we wanted, we would appreciate him, but we might now know him!