NEVER SETTLE

Life has its battles. Sometimes it seems like no matter what we do, we fall short of our goals. We say, "There has to be a way to overcome these obstacles.” Jesus is the solution. The problem is that we try to accomplish things in our own power. Jesus said, I am the vine, ye are the branches…without me, ye can do nothing (John 15:5). He did not say we can do some things or a few things; we can do nothing without Him! He used the illustration of a tree. If a branch is not connected to the trunk, it will not flourish; it is dead. You cannot plant a branch into the ground and expect it to produce fruit; it must be connected to the tree – the source.

So, how do we get connected to the source that is Christ? Jesus said that you must be born again (John 3:3); you must become a child of God. It is an incorrect statement that everyone is a child of God. Jesus told the Pharisees, the religious sect of His day, that they were of their father, the devil (John 8:44). Also, if all were children of God, then Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our sin so that we don’t have to pay for it in hell would have been for nothing. Everyone is created by God, but sin separated us from Him. The Bible defines sin as the transgression of God’s law (1 John 3:4). We have all broken it. The Bible says that if we break the law at one point, then we are guilty of the whole law (James 2:10). So, in God’s eyes, if you have ever told a lie, then you are just as guilty as a murderer. Jesus died for all our sins. Everything we do in our own strength falls short of God’s requirement: perfection. This presents a problem because none of us are perfect. That’s why Jesus came 2000 years ago. His sacrifice satisfied God’s justice. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, For he (God the Father) hath made him (Jesus, God the Son) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

To connect to Jesus as your source, you must repent and place your faith solely in Him and nothing else. Paul said, …repentance toward God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). Repentance is a change of mind. It means you go from thinking casually about your sin to taking it seriously. Confession is closely related to repentance, which means saying the same thing about your sin as God does. It means you are in complete agreement with Him.

Consider the thief on the cross. Along with the other thief and the crowd, he mocked Jesus. But then he saw his error and suddenly told the second thief to be quiet and stated that they deserved to be crucified but that Jesus had done nothing wrong (Luke 23:41). He then asked the Lord to remember him when He returns. At that moment, he repented and trusted in Christ as his Savior. Jesus turned and replied, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43). Jesus didn’t say, “Well, first, you must join a church,” or “you need to do some good works,” or anything of the kind. Salvation is all of grace (Ephesians 2:8). Grace is defined as unmerited favor; we don’t deserve it. Again, God requires perfection. There’s no such thing as being “good enough” to enter heaven.

Once you accept Christ as your Savior, you will have the power to overcome life’s battles. The apostle Paul said, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Philippians 4:13). Without Christ, all your attempts to fight life’s challenges are futile. You are settling for less each day that you don’t have Jesus as your Savior. That isn’t to say that all your problems will disappear once you become a child of God. But you will have Christ with you in the stormy seas, Who can, at will, command the waves and winds, Peace be still (Mark 4:39). The very One Who spoke all creation into existence (Psalms 33:6-9) can give you the strength to be an overcomer. To refuse Christ is to settle for less. You can never get beyond mediocrity without Him. Never settle.

Repent of your sin and trust in Christ alone as your Savior today. Once you do that, you’ll receive joy unspeakable (1 Peter 1:8) and peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Peace that the world cannot offer nor comprehend. If you feel something tugging at your heart while reading this, that is God drawing you to Himself. Respond, repent, and receive His free gift of eternal life.

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