For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
Max Lucado tells about a cookie exchange held at his church one Christmas. The price of admission was a tray of cookies. Your tray entitled you to pick cookies from the other trays. You could leave with as many cookies as you brought. The problem was that Max was baking challenged. He couldn’t tell a spatula from a lug wrench. He had no cookies to bring and, therefore, wouldn’t be allowed to the party. Poor Max! What was he going to do?
He confessed his need. He sent an email to his entire church staff: “I can’t cook, so I can’t be at the party.” A dear sister in the church heard of his plight and had mercy on him, and, just before the celebration, she gave him a plate of cookies, twelve circles of kindness. “And by virtue of that gift, I was privileged a place at the party.”
Spiritually, we’re in the same boat as Max with his cookies. God is planning a party too—in heaven. But the price of admission is righteousness. That’s a big problem because the Bible says, “There is none righteous, no not one.” What do we do?
Admit our need. Cry out to God, “I have no righteousness so I can’t come to your party.” But God knew our need before we did. And while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly—you and me.
1 Peter 3:18 says “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” That’s how we get to come to the party. Our Savior had mercy on us and supplied us with His righteousness so we could be saved. Now that’s good news!
Alter Your Altar (Ideas for Family Worship)
- Have a cookie party (don’t ruin with salt this time!) and between munches, praise God for the gift of His righteousness qualifying you to attend His salvation party.
- Take the Family Worship Challenge
Please Pray . . .
- For the healing of broken families.
- For Skagit Adventist School.
- All the evangelism meetings going on this fall and for many conversions to Christ.