“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” Acts 20:24
There have been those, throughout history, whose life’s work has made a huge impact on the world. Without their work, there are things we know and enjoy today that may not have been possible. Orville and Wilbur Wright believed it was possible for us to enjoy air travel and because of their dedication to that work, today we can go anywhere in the world in just a short time. Martin Luther King Jr. believed that all men were created equal by God and that every life has value, regardless of the color of one’s skin. Without his devotion to the work of desegregation and racial equality, many would not enjoy the life they do today. I could go on and on about men and women who believed their work, and in many cases what they felt was an assignment from God, was worth their life’s devotion. For them it was more than a cause, it was a calling.
The Apostle Paul knew that the work he had been given was to share the Good News with the world, both Jews and Gentiles. He endured rejection, hardship, and persecution all because of the work God had called him to. So, what exactly was this Good News that he was so passionately willing to endure so much for? It was the Good News “about the wonderful grace of God.”
To Paul, Grace was not a sermon series, a topic, or even a doctrine. To Paul, Grace was the Gospel and it was the Gospel and Good News of what Jesus had done on our behalf. Jesus had been the “Once and for all time Lamb of God” Who would be sacrificed to “take away the sin of the world forever.” Because of Jesus’ willing sacrifice, a sacrifice that was sufficient enough to pay the dept of mankind’s sin for all eternity, sin would never be an issue again and all mankind was accepted and received by the Father. As the scapegoat covered the nation of Israel’s sins for a year, Jesus the Lamb of God took away the sins of the world forever. All that anyone has to do to be the beneficiary of such a sacrifice is to simply believe!
Today, let’s believe, receive and be thankful for the work that Jesus did for us!