Your Nothingness is the Solution!

Your Nothingness is the Solution!

The Special Seed daily devotion: 22 November 2016

If the most worthless and hopelessness person in the world had to be chosen, that would be the criminal on the cross that was crucified on the cross with Jesus Christ, we find him in Luke 23:32-43. If there is a person that deserves death in this world, that would also be him. If the biggest failure in the world had to be chosen, that would once again be the criminal on the cross. He is fit to go to hell. The criminal on the cross is the one that should never enter heaven and the one that should meet a terrible end after suffering miserably in hardships. Jesus saved him. For his final work on earth, why did Jesus save a vicious criminal like him? What is the reason for choosing that kind of person and letting it be known in the world? The heart of God toward us is contained there. God’s reason of love toward man never required good works, devotion, and merit from them. Friends if there is one thing that God is trying to do in the lives of people, it is to show them that there is NOTHING about themselves that can be presented to Him as merit. Nothing. But if you examine your motives and thinking as you walk with God, you will probably discover that, even without forethought, you are operating to a great degree on the basis of what you think are your merits before God. Every time you look at yourself and find something that you commend about yourself-that is your prison that has bound you until today.

To teach us the fact that entering heaven is not through good works or merit, Jesus chose the criminal on the cross. The writers of the four books of the gospel recorded the event in which Jesus saved a dirty, filthy person that was like trash in the end. It is because this is a very important event that the entire world needs to know. Anyone Can Boldly Become the People of Heaven. Anyone has the right to be loved and receive salvation because man was made in the image of God. “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”. (1 Timothy 2:3-4). There is no need for us to try and do well to receive salvation. Besides, salvation cannot be attained in that fashion. God does not love us by looking at our righteous deeds: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: “Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). We were born with the condition to be loved and it is because we were made in God’s image, however due to Adam being separated from God due to sin, we were all born separated from God. This is the very reason why Jesus came to this earth and perfectly attained salvation to save us and reconcile us back to God through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). Seeing that the most evil criminal on the cross was saved as well, there is no one on this planet that cannot receive the love of God. The people at that time regarded the criminal on the cross as trash and a failure in life. They were indifferent to him and did not sympathize with him. However, the Lord valued his existence and saved him. The Lord does not refuse anyone. That is why anyone can boldly become the people of heaven if they open their hearts to God and accept by faith the righteousness accomplished by the Lord. Jesus did everything for that to happen. Actually, in the eyes of Jesus Christ, even a person who lived the most pure and clean life is no different from the criminal on the cross. When the two are compared, there is no difference in the matter of him receiving salvation. Two people are introduced in Luke chapter 23. The two were criminals; as murderers, they were very cruel. On that account they received the greatest punishment at that time, the crucifixion. Jesus was in the middle and the two criminals were on His left and right. The people on the ground mocked Him. “Are You the Christ, the Son of God that came from heaven? Then why are You nailed to the cross? Oh Son of God, serves You right!” The criminals also cursed Jesus as they listened to the people. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. (Matthew 27:44) They received the sentence of crucifixion but their hearts were not broken and did not give in. They did not lift up their voices and ask for the mercy of God, rather they slandered the Son of God. They shouted, “If Thou be the Son of God, save Thyself and us.” However, the heart of one of the criminals started to change. He started to listen to the Words of Jesus. “Father, forgive them.” “Why is there a sign above Him, ‘THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS’? Why does He call Himself the Christ? He didn’t murder, commit adultery, or steal. Why is He receiving this punishment? . . .”The criminal’s heart changed as he thought of various circumstances. "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom, and Jesus said unto him “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.” (Luke 23; 42-43). This criminal received salvation in a very brief moment. Actually, there are many people that cannot understand this salvation attained in a short time. If effort is required for sin to be washed, this criminal cannot be saved. If salvation is not attained in an instant but gradually and it takes a few days, weeks, and months, how can this criminal receive paradise? He would never have received the chance for salvation. The crucifixion is a sentence given to a flagrant criminal. The final act of Jesus on this earth was saving that wicked one on the cross. One criminal started to change his heart through the grace of the Lord and the Lord saved him from the entrance of destruction and from the thresholds of hell. The criminal started listening to Jesus on the cross. When Jesus shouted, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do,” those Words brushed past the criminal’s heart. He realized his sins that moment and rebuked the other criminal. “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?” The fear of God came upon his heart. He feared as he saw his self before God. That fear became the channel for faith to enter his heart. Now he possessed the eyes to see Jesus accurately. “But this man hath done nothing amiss.” People were mocking Jesus, but he got to see Jesus differently. He said, “And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds.” When he recognized the sentence given to him was appropriate, the path to salvation was opened. Until now he did not acknowledge his sin and then he clearly saw himself for the first time. He saw the crown of thorns on Jesus’ head and the wounds He received from the whip. To Jesus, who the people mocked and pointed fingers at, he now called Savior and requested for salvation. “Jesus, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.” Many Christians say that we must do something in order to receive salvation. What would people who believe this say about the criminal’s salvation? What could he, who has both his hands and feet nailed to the cross, do? When his hands and feet were free, he used his hands in spilling blood and used his feet for evil. Now in this helpless condition, he believed the Jesus on the cross was Christ. The criminal had correct faith. “Jesus, remember me.” These short three words connected him to the throne of God. That Lord had to answer his shouting. As soon as he cried out to the Lord, it was answered. “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.” He did not keep the commandments, did not receive baptism, and never participated in communion. In the morning he was led to the cross, but in the evening he wore the crown of righteousness and entered God’s paradise. No one had pity for him in the morning, but he received God’s mercy in the evening. He was a criminal in the morning, but a proud child of God in the evening. Jesus died for the Ungodly not for the righteous-Romans 5:6). A little while ago this criminal cursed Jesus, but when his heart changed, this cruel criminal went to heaven. This blessing is received because man was created in God’s image. Therefore, there is no need for us to try and do something exceptionally well or do some great work for the Lord. It is because God does not love us for those things, when God sees Jesus Christ instead of us, He opens the path to paradise. He loved the wicked criminal and saved him. Then what about us? Even a person that lived the most pure and clean life has no right to enter heaven on his own. If we are to speak about qualifications, a pure person is no different from the criminal on the cross. Jesus does not point his finger, shun, despise, or slander anyone. Look at the Lord who entered Zacchaeus’ house and changed the woman of Samaria into a great preacher. The one who possesses the amazing love to save the woman taken in adultery and leads the criminal to paradise, He is Jesus Christ. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. (Romans 5:6-8). Friends Satan will whisper into your ears, “You cannot receive salvation.” Then shout this.“Jesus, if You remember me, I can receive grace. Instead of the merit I have stacked up my entire life, if You remember me then that can change me. Friends it takes less than a day for salvation to be attained and for us to change. If you have the heart, “If the Lord remembers me today, I can receive salvation,” it is more than enough for God to work in your hearts. The condition for us to live spiritual life filled with the Holy Spirit is not in us but in Jesus Christ. If the Lord manifests His power through us, it is fine if we do not know the Scriptures, if we were just saved, if we cannot pray well, or if we are weak. It is not a problem at all. When we discover that Jesus has everything ready for us to live spiritual life and have faith by opening our hearts, anyone can live a good spiritual life. Not much time is required for that change. The problem is that we are deceived by Satan and live trapped by thoughts such as, “Not me. I can’t do well.” Other than that, nothing is a problem. The condition to live a good spiritual life is given to all. There is no condition to do badly. It is because this is realized through the Lord. However, many people do not know of this fact. The two criminals on the cross murdered and committed sins. They were sentenced and nailed to the cross. Both cursed Jesus, but only one repented and received the Lord and the other was stubborn about his thoughts and rejected the Lord. The result was immense. One criminal walked through beautiful paradise with Jesus and the other entered eternal hellfire. How is your image before the Lord? I hope that you can receive the grace of the Lord and walk through beautiful paradise with Jesus like the one criminal. With our own fleshly eyes the criminal situation was hopeless as far as salvation was concerned but it is His hopelessness that birth the new heart to repent and receive salvation. Friends there is nothing that you done that can prevent you to be saved, your situation might look hopeless but God is saying “Today you shall be with me in paradise” “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Friends there are no merits in us, what we think are merits they are actually masks, that make God to turn away from us, true salvation and a true relationship with God is our nothingness. The only hope here is if our masks are already off. And if the religious fa?ade we have erected is already brought down. That IS, after all, what God is trying to accomplish. God will, in the end, ask us: What have you done with My Son? Not just with regards to general salvation. But what have we done – what have we BECOME – because of Christ in us? He won’t necessarily wait for us to answer. The LIGHT will reveal the answer. A true relationship with God can only be possible when we realize that we are nothing, our degrees, our skills , our efforts, our tithes , our offerings are nothing there is no hope in us: “Lord all that comes out of me is dung, everyday I am in need of your mercy and grace, I surrender all to you” this is the heart that we need. Friends The NORMAL condition for man, according to the Bible, is to be NAKED and UNASHAMED. "Naked," means to be dependent and with no assets from yourself. But, "unashamed," means that because I am dependent upon God, I am completed by Him, and am a WHOLE person, barely conscious that I am naked. That is freedom. And it is the place back to which God wants to bring us in Jesus Christ- remember Adam before going against the Lord -Genesis 2:25-“ Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame”, Paul also brought that light: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” (Romans 8:1)-“ Your own mouth condemns you, not mine; your own lips testify against you” (Job 15:6). Friends the grace of God flows like a river from a high point  to a low point, it will never flow the opposite direction, stay as zero to remain in His mercy, love and grace.

 NEVER BE DISCOURAGED SEE THE WORD NOT THE WORLD STAY ENCOURAGED IN THE LORD.

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