The Wednesday Word - God's Thoughts or Man's?
God’s Thoughts or Man’s?
by D.G Miles McKee
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 55:8).A few years ago, a lady, dying of cancer, became very anxious about her place in eternity. As a result, she began asking almost everyone she met about their views of salvation. She received various replies. One person told her to pray a lot and she’d be OK. Another told her to do a lot and she’d be fine. That person went on to say that salvation came by working for God and doing good deeds. One man, on the other hand, went as far as to tell her there was no such thing as salvation. He said that we are born, we grow up, we get old and then we die … that’s it. It’s all over. Finito. There’s nothing more beyond.A Christian then visited her. The sick lady, now bedridden, earnestly inquired, “What are your views of salvation?” “I have no views,’ was the reply. The ailing lady was amazed. “You seem very surprised," said the Christian, “but supposing I had an opinion, what good would it be to you, seeing it would be but the views of a fellow mortal? What use would that be? Opinions and theories about salvation are like noses, everyone has one. “The patient was stunned. The Christian then said, “I can, however, give you something much better than my opinion on the subject; I can give you God's thinking. If I understand you correctly, you are concerned about what you need to do to receive salvation? The divine answer is that we are to believe, trust and rely on the Lord Jesus Christ.” The Christian then pointed her to Acts 16:31 and urged her to trust and rest in Christ and be saved. “But surely salvation must be through some kind of good works?” the patient questioned. “Good works? Yes, but not our good works. Christ lived a life of good works and did so on our behalf. His works are credited and reckoned to us who trust in Him.”The Christian then took her to Romans 4:5 and read, “To him that works NOT, but believes on Him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” The Christian continued, “Believers are those who have trusted that salvation is, "NOT by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.” (Titus 3:5). It is evident from these and other passages of God’s Word, that no one can be saved through their works, prayers, church attendance, or religious observance. Trusting in those things is simply a way of embracing man’s opinions on salvation and not God’s.”The Christian then continued, “God’s thoughts on salvation are quite different than any man-made theories.” The anxious lady abruptly inquired, “You mean I can’t earn salvation… what, then, should I do? “Here’s what you do, if you could even call it ‘doing’, you simply accept as your own that which has already been done and accomplished. Put your trust in Christ Jesus. By simple faith receive the salvation which is in Him. Look unto Him and be saved!” The Christian finished by quoting a verse of a hymn,“There is life in a look at the Crucified One,There is life at this moment for thee.Then look, dear sinner, unto Him and be saved-Unto Him who was nailed to the tree.”The dying lady said, “I see it now. It is God’s thoughts that matter and not the opinions of men. I am now trusting the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my sin-bearer. He is my Saviour.”Not many weeks after the lady fell asleep in Jesus but before doing so, she testified to all who came to see her that the Lord Jesus was the final and full answer to the question of salvation. And that’s the Gospel Truth!
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