“Footprints in the Sand” is a Foolish Illustration
10/24 Reading Portions: 2 Kings 5; 1 Timothy 2; Daniel 9; Psalms 117-118
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10/24 Reading Portions: 2 Kings 5; 1 Timothy 2; Daniel 9; Psalms 117-118
1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and there is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
MEDIATOR
Today’s devotional may get a few people upset with me, enough to unsubscribe. I hope, however, that you’ll at least give me the opportunity to magnify Christ Jesus and explain my controversial title.
Many of us are familiar with that poem, “Footprints in the Sand,” where the man looks behind him and sees two sets of footprints, but many times he saw only one set of prints; and Jesus gave him the answer to his “why” by telling the man that it was in those times that Jesus was carrying him. Well, that’s just biblically and theologically untrue. There would be only one set of footprints in the sand: those belonging to the Lord Jesus! Why? Because there is only one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. PERIOD. Has there ever been a time in your life since you’ve been saved that you can say that you could mediate before the holy Judge of all on behalf of yourself? God forbid! When you pray, do you pray in Jesus’ name or in your own name? Of course it is in Christ’s name, not yours or mine. The best of our good works contains enough impurity from the corruption still remaining in our mortal flesh that we need all of God’s grace in Christ constantly. We need Christ’s imputed righteousness every waking and sleeping moment of every single day until Jesus comes again or calls us home. Does this mean that our salvation by grace makes us passive automatons, robotic in our obedience? No way, Jose! Does it mean we do nothing whatsoever because Jesus does it all? Again, my questions are rhetorical and ridiculous. Because God’s love, grace, and mercy abound so gloriously in Christ when once He has saved us, we respond with loving gratitude and godly fear for the grandest Gift in the universe for all eternity: Jesus Messiah, Himself. Jesus IS the Blessing! Yet we do so, not by any power of our own, not by something generated in our grace-opposing flesh, but by being…
…strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Ephesians 6:10
Were we to “walk” spiritually apart from Christ Jesus carrying us by His grace as our only Mediator, we would be susceptible to deception, and thus, dishonor God, disobey Him, and bring about our own death and the death of others, just as Adam did in the garden (Gen 3). Remember,
…We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. Luke 17:10, KJV (emphasis added)
We must ever keep in mind that it profited Jesus nothing to save us, and it profits Him nothing when we accomplish good works by His grace for His glory. Jesus is complete, sufficient, eternal, and unchanging God. Hallelujah! What a powerful Savior!
Spot on!