Undeserved Favor!

In the beginning, God created. He created all things, and He created them to be good. He chose to place the human race, which He called man, over all creation. And in His infinite love and affection, He bestowed upon this creature, made in His own image, a special blessing and dominion over everything. It truly is a remarkable act of love—a breathtaking display!

But if I take a moment to step back, even before God spoke the first line of Genesis, I realize that He had already set His love and affection on me personally, since before the heavens and the earth came into being. God had me in mind—yes, me—loving me deeply before the world even existed. In His love, He predestined me to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus, who would later come to the world to liberate me from my sin. He granted me everlasting life, all to the praise of His glorious grace, which He lavishes upon me. Not because of anything I have done, but simply because He loves me personally and eternally.

For salvation is a free gift, an undeserved favor bestowed upon a wretched creature consumed by his own sinful desires. That creature was me, before Christ opened my eyes. It was me before He showered me with His undeserved grace, covering me in the precious blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, in order to transform me into a vessel fit for His glory. Oh, thank you, Jesus, for loving me even when I am at my most unlovable. Thank you, Lord, for securing my salvation even before the foundation of the earth. Thank you, Lord, for safeguarding my salvation in heaven, where moth and rust cannot destroy it!

In Him, with love

mike