Written by Bailey Vesperman, Creative Director with Iron Rose Sister Ministries
Growing up, my world was black and white. To be a “good” daughter, I did my chores without complaining, ate my vegetables, and didn’t fight with my brother. Breaking any of the family rules meant I was behaving badly and would not get rewards like extra playtime or dessert. I also applied this kind of thinking in my church life. Attending Bible class and sitting still through the sermon were “good” behaviors and were rewarded most often with stickers (the most enticing reward of my childhood).
It’s no wonder that for the longest time, my faith revolved around doing the right things and being a good person. I believed if I followed the rules, I would be deemed good enough and would gain the reward of going to Heaven. I’m sure you can imagine how discouraging this mindset was! Every time I sinned, I felt like I was one step further away from my reward.
Time and time again, the Bible both tells and shows us that humans are incapable of achieving salvation on their own. One of my favorite examples of this is Abraham. In Genesis 15, we see Abraham (who is still Abram at this time) preparing to make a covenant with God. The Lord has just promised that He will give him descendants that outnumber the stars in the sky, and a promised land in which they would live.
So the Lord said to him, ‘Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.’ Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. (Ge. 15:9-10)
Then, Abram falls asleep, the Lord speaks to him, and he sees a smoking pot and a flaming torch pass through the carcasses.
In the Israelite culture, making a covenant with someone was much more significant than simply saying “I promise.” Two people entering a covenant with each other would cut the animals apart and take turns walking in the blood between the carcasses. This was a symbolic gesture that meant if one person could not uphold their end of the deal, the other person could perform the same act to them (as in, kill them and walk through their blood). While it’s a very violent and bleak thought, it sends the right message. These types of promises were not made lightly.
Yet when God entered the covenant with Abram, we see something a little different. Abram never walks between the carcasses—rather, a torch and a smoking pot pass through. God passes through twice, taking up both sides of the promise. God knew Abram was incapable of living righteously enough to earn the reward of living in the Promised Land. In Genesis 16, we see Abram doubting God’s promise when he chooses to have a son with Hagar. If left to his own devices, Abram would have never been worthy of the reward God had in store for him. Yet God, in His infinite grace, took the burden of punishment upon himself so Abram and his descendants could be blessed.
This same covenant applies to us today. As humans, we are incapable of earning our salvation by being “good,” but God knows this and has taken on the burden of our sins by sacrificing Christ for us. All that He asks of us is to put our faith in Him. Philippians 3:9b (NLT) says, “I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.” Isn’t that a relieving thought! Because we are sinful by nature, there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Yet God wants to reward us with grace and salvation even though we do not deserve it. And the only cost is placing our faith in Him.
As an adult now, I still strive to live righteously for God, but I can rest in the knowledge that my shortcomings do not mean I will not receive my reward someday. Christ has already paid the price for me, and for that reason, I strive to serve Him faithfully. I pray that we may all find rest in His goodness as we move into this new year!