In the fall I had the opportunity to interview a pastor who years ago was involved in smuggling Bibles into a closed country that was unfriendly to Christianity.  I was fascinated by his stories and close calls of getting caught but he made numerous successful trips across the border and back delivering many Bibles to hungry underground believers. 

I have not been so successful in my smuggling attempts and, truth be told, what I am smuggling is not helpful to anyone, especially myself.  I recently heard a pastor make this statement, “I tend to smuggle my works into the Gospel”.1  Isn’t that true of all of us? We have such a hard time accepting that the Gospel of Grace is all of God – we do absolutely nothing to accomplish our salvation. 

We want to smuggle in : A regular quiet time, Bible reading, good deeds, paying tithes, asking forgiveness of a friend, not drinking, smoking or playing cards, wearing the right clothes, not wearing the wrong clothes, going to church, going to the right church, serving others, making meals for the sick, praying, etc. The list is as long as our own imaginations.  Now don’t get me wrong, MOST of these things can be good and evidence of a healthy love for our Savior but none of them contribute one iota to our salvation. 

Can you believe it?  Jesus doesn’t need or want our help to save us?  Seriously, if we were responsible for only one millionth of our own salvation, we would mess up that one millionth.

I have been reading and journaling Romans one sentence at a time.  Having read the book dozens of times before, this journey through has been eye-opening.  The words “free gift” appear six times in chapters 5 and 6.  Paul doesn’t want us to miss it. 

1. Romans 5:15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
2. Romans 5:16  And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.
3. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
4. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:8-9 sums it up, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” 

We know this is true but WHY O WHY do we keep trying to smuggle in our own works?  Why do we try to pay towards a debt that has already been paid in full? 

I think the only way we can deter our smuggling activities is to rehearse the Gospel regularly, reminding ourselves of the Grace of God and the totality of our salvation He paid for with His blood.  Never move on from the Gospel.

Blessings,
Diane

Diane Hunt is part of the Development and Addiction Recovery teams at America’s Keswick.  In addition to being a Biblical Counselor, she is a Women’s speaker for retreats, conferences and events.  She is a regular writer for Victory Call and one of the authors of Crossing the Jordan Bible Study. She has been married to her husband John over 28 years.  She has 2 adult children and 3 grandchildren and 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 10 in all.  She delights reading and teaching, but mostly laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.  

 1 (the statement was not original with him but he was not aware of who said it)