Reflections

Today's Reading: Matthew 25:31-46
Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 30:1-24; Matthew 26:57-75
Then the King will say to those at His right: "Come, those blessed by My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared FOR YOU from the foundation of the world." (Matthew 25:34)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus will come. He has to. He's promised it. Jesus always keeps His promises. He promised He would be born of a virgin, and He was. He promised that He would die on a cross. He promised that He would rise from the dead, come back to life on the Third Day, and He did. He promised that He would ascend into heaven, and He did!
Jesus alone saves you. You don't save yourself. Not even a little bit. Jesus' blood covers all your sins. You are 100% forgiven in Jesus. Only in Him. There's nothing you could've done to earn it, nothing you can do now to keep it. You don't have to worry about losing it in the future. The Kingdom was all prepared for you when God created the universe. Saving you wasn't Plan B. From forever He planned for you to be with Him, and He doesn't just plan it, He makes it happen. He's promised it. He'll do it.
Good works, too. That's part of His plan for you--for you to do them. He makes that happen, too. He's planned for you to be where you are, right now, just so that you would have people in your life to love and serve, and so that they would have you in their lives for them to receive service, care, and love from God through you.
Paul says the very same thing in Ephesians as Jesus said. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him" (Ephesians 1:3-4). "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
You are in Christ. Eternal life is yours. Won by Christ. Delivered in His Word and Gifts. Inheritance by way of gift, not by earning. Inheritance comes because of the death of the one giving it--Christ FOR YOU. And on the Last Day, no fear for you. You're in Jesus. His blood redeemed you from your sins, and His blood also covered all your works, too. That's why they're good! According to Jesus' parable, when you're His sheep, you're a good sheep. 100%. All in Him. FOR YOU. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch