Thursday, March 15, 2007
Psalm 115:1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.
PRAISE YE THE LORD
It is the cross which sets Christianity apart. Religions without the cross of Jesus must rely on human effort and merit to gain salvation. The Christian looks only to the Savior, trusting that He has lived the righteous life which God requires from all men, and that He has died the punishing death deserved by all men. Only at the cross do we find that all the work which needed to be done to secure heaven for us has been done -- by the LORD.
Therefore, not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory! It is not for us to feel proud of our spiritual accomplishments, even if our flesh should at times tempt us to think a little more highly of ourselves when we do such things as pray regularly, make extra effort to attend church, or strive to live in a godly way.
It is not our love and faithfulness which has done so much, but it is because of God's love and faithfulness at the cross that we are not lost to eternal death. He has done what dumb idols cannot -- given Himself for His people.
"Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast save in the death of Christ, my God."
