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STEP 4: Salvage Operation

The ‘salvaging’ operation that God offers us is free. It isn’t related to how good we’ve been. The amazing thing is that God’s love is offered to his enemies. That’s what grace is – something good we get that wedon’t deserve. Salvation is by grace, not by our ‘good works’.

But while salvation is free, it wasn’t cheap. It cost the life of your Rescuer. Jesus said “Greater love has no man than that he lay down his life for his friends.” He died for you.

But why was it necessary for Jesus to die for you to save you? Couldn’t God have just forgiven us with love? John (the disciple) said: “If we claim to be without sin we deceive ourselves… but we have a defence counsel with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One.” Imagine yourself in a sort of court scene. You pleaded guilty if you said ‘Yes’ about breaking God’s law. Here’s what God’s says about the consequence:“The wages of sin is death.” This means that the consequence of turning away from God, in whom alone is life, is no life. But amazingly, you have a unique Defence Counsel.

How does he ‘defend’ you? He doesn’t say: “Please be merciful to her, Your Honour; after all you do loveher, don’t you?” Yes, this Judge truly loves the guilty defendant, but even his great mercy cannot reverse the fact that life is found only in relationship with himself. Even in recession the ‘wages’ of sin is still the same.

No, the Defence Counsel reminds the Judge that in his love and mercy he had arranged that the Defence Counsel himself – Jesus – should pay the fine with his own life! The penalty – your penalty – is notoverlooked by God’s love and mercy – it’s been paid for you by his Son! You’d better be sure you have chosen the right ‘defence’, because no one else died to ransom you, or by his resurrection defeated Sin and Death – your real Enemy – in a great victory. If you say ‘Yes’ to Jesus now you will receive eternal life from the Father. That’s the Gospel.

So here’s Step 4: When Jesus died on the cross, it was for you. If you stand in the ‘dock’ now and say ‘Yes, Father, Jesus died for my sin’, you will be saved, salvaged. And the power of his kingdom will begin in your life.