One Door, Simple Grace

Well now, what a joyous pleasure to have you steppin’ up the path! So, come on and pull that ol’ rocker a lil’ notch closer up here on this ol’ front porch, friend, so you can be restin’ your weary bones for a minute or two. Folks can make salvation sound a mite more tangled up than a fishin’ line in a lil’ ol’ squirrel’s nest and a whole lot more complicated than tryin’ to teach an ol’ barn cat to churn butter. One person says you’ve got to do this, another says you’d better add that, and before long the whole thing gets plum piled higher than seed sacks stacked up in the shed. But the gospel ain’t no homemade ladder for proud folks to be climbin’. It’s God’s open door for needy hearts to enter.

Jesus said in Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” That means salvation sho’-nuff’ begins with faith in Christ. To believe is to trust Him, lean on Him, and stake your whole soul on what He has done. And Acts 16:31 tells us, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Salvation ain’t earned by stackin’ up good deeds like cordwood by the back steps. It’s downright received by faith.

Then comes baptism, not as a way to earn grace, but as a glad act of obedience. It’s the outward testimony that we belong to Jesus, a picture of His death, burial, and resurrection. Titus 3:5 says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.” That settles it plain as a church bell on Sunday morning. We’re saved by mercy, through faith, and baptism joyfully shows the world whose we are.

So, don’t you stand outside the door polishin’ your boots and braggin’ on your effort. Come to Christ. Trust Him fully. The way is real simple because the Savior is mighty sufficient.

Father, thank You that salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone. Keep me from trusting my own goodness and teach me to rest completely in Your mercy. Give me a heart that believes, a life that obeys, and courage to follow Christ openly and faithfully. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Alright then, friend, you’ve gotta be goin’ on back into the rest of your day and quit carryin’ an ol’ toolbox to a job that Jesus has already finished. Don’t be fussin’ around the gate like an ol’ hound dog circlin’ the porch when the door is standin’ wide open. Trust Christ, walk in obedience, and let your heart rest in His mercy. The gospel is simple enough for a child to receive and strong enough to carry a soul clean all the way home to Heaven.

With joy,

Gwen