The Narrow Gate | July 4
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast.
… to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Ephesians 2:8-9, Ephesians 4:7
Father, we celebrate Independence Day in the United States as a way of marking our freedom from the control of others. When we accept, by faith in Jesus, Your grace and salvation, we celebrate a different kind of freedom. We believe that freedom from dominance by Satan marks that day as the most important day in our existence.
It is on that day Father, that we place our trust in You, forever. We confess that it is not our good works that place us in Your hand, but the redeeming act of Jesus, lest any of us feel we can boast about being in Your care.
Our grace from You was made effective by Jesus. Absent our faith, we can not draw near to You. We know that when we draw near to You, it was facilitated by Jesus and that You respond by drawing near to us. It is nearer to You that we want to stand, this day. Independence from the heavy weight of sin is a result of our dependence on You. Bless us this Independence day, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project
