Who Then Can Be Saved?
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Readings for Today - Go to www.biblegateway.com to access online for full readings
Psalm 31:6-9 (Of David) (NIV)
6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
as for me, I trust in the LORD.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.
9 Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.
Exodus 5:10-6:12
Exodus 6:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”2 God also said to Moses, “I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself fully known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.’”9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.10 Then the LORD said to Moses, 11 “Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.”12 But Moses said to the LORD, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?”
Matthew 19:23-30
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
Reflections: In today’s readings, both Moses and Peter are challenged by the call of God on their lives. Both feel inadequate to do what God is calling them to do. Moses feels inadequate to confront Pharaoh with his speech impediment. Peter hears the nature of Jesus’ call to give up everything to follow him, and wonders out loud, “Who then can be saved?”
Fortunately with these challenges God also provides the empowerment to carry out what He has called them to do. God tells Moses that He will remember the covenant He made with Abraham, Issac and Jacob to give them the land of Canaan. He also tells him that He has revealed himself in a new way to Moses by actually revealing His name, “I AM”. It is through Moses knowledge of God that He can speak for Him. As such he is an ambassador for the King. The power comes from the person he represents not his own innate giftedness or ability.
Jesus answers Peter with a similar statement. “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Jesus tells Peter that the only way He can truly follow Him is with God’s grace and anointing. The only way He can enter the kingdom is by the same grace that He gave Moses to represent His name.
And if God has revealed Himself to Moses and Peter in this way, do you think He treats us any differently? As you hear what God has called you to do, remember He won’t call you do to anything that He has not empowered you to do in the authority of His name (the name of Jesus) and the power of the Holy Spirit. There will also be obstacles in our lives to giving God the proper worship in our lives (i.e. Pharaoh did not want to let the Israelites go and worship Him). There will always be a sense we are inadequate to the task God has called us to (Peter’s exclamation who then can be saved?). But God has faithful to His covenant promises to His people, and God will be faithful to you and I as we live out our identity as His representatives in the world.
Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. Jonah 2:8 (NIV)
The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. 1 Timothy 6:10
Lord God, we confess our weaknesses. We need your help to turn away from the idols we have created. May we always put our trust in you and worship you - the one true God. Amen.
Readings for Today - Go to www.biblegateway.com to access online for full readings
Psalm 31:6-9 (Of David) (NIV)
6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
as for me, I trust in the LORD.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.
9 Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.
Exodus 5:10-6:12
Exodus 6:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”2 God also said to Moses, “I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself fully known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.’”9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.10 Then the LORD said to Moses, 11 “Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.”12 But Moses said to the LORD, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?”
Matthew 19:23-30
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
Reflections: In today’s readings, both Moses and Peter are challenged by the call of God on their lives. Both feel inadequate to do what God is calling them to do. Moses feels inadequate to confront Pharaoh with his speech impediment. Peter hears the nature of Jesus’ call to give up everything to follow him, and wonders out loud, “Who then can be saved?”
Fortunately with these challenges God also provides the empowerment to carry out what He has called them to do. God tells Moses that He will remember the covenant He made with Abraham, Issac and Jacob to give them the land of Canaan. He also tells him that He has revealed himself in a new way to Moses by actually revealing His name, “I AM”. It is through Moses knowledge of God that He can speak for Him. As such he is an ambassador for the King. The power comes from the person he represents not his own innate giftedness or ability.
Jesus answers Peter with a similar statement. “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Jesus tells Peter that the only way He can truly follow Him is with God’s grace and anointing. The only way He can enter the kingdom is by the same grace that He gave Moses to represent His name.
And if God has revealed Himself to Moses and Peter in this way, do you think He treats us any differently? As you hear what God has called you to do, remember He won’t call you do to anything that He has not empowered you to do in the authority of His name (the name of Jesus) and the power of the Holy Spirit. There will also be obstacles in our lives to giving God the proper worship in our lives (i.e. Pharaoh did not want to let the Israelites go and worship Him). There will always be a sense we are inadequate to the task God has called us to (Peter’s exclamation who then can be saved?). But God has faithful to His covenant promises to His people, and God will be faithful to you and I as we live out our identity as His representatives in the world.
Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. Jonah 2:8 (NIV)
The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. 1 Timothy 6:10
Lord God, we confess our weaknesses. We need your help to turn away from the idols we have created. May we always put our trust in you and worship you - the one true God. Amen.
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