“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8 NASB)
You cannot change your TV channel during this time of the year without coming across a basketball game or a football game. Just in case you are one of those individuals who hold the remote with a firm grip and you quickly scan to another story before someone else sees a game is being televised, and you holler out, “Go back! Go back!,“ let me get you on the same page as the sports enthusiasts. Let me bring your attention to the times when the opposing coach calls for a review of a play that did not go in his/her team’s favor. That’s a privilege granted by sport’s evolving rules in many sports, tennis included. Yet this privilege is limited, can only be used a specified number of times, but if used wisely, it can be to the team’s or individual’s advantage. After the referees of field judge reviews the play on monitors located on the sideline, they come back and make their announcement as to whether the call would be changed. They start out by saying, “After further review…” Sometimes the results made the use of the privilege profitable and sometimes the official decision plunged hopes.
Now, if you don’t mind, let me use my imagination weaved in with Biblical revelation. Here is a story. Perhaps think of it as a parable.
A man is ready to enter Heaven. He is standing before the judgement seat of God. Christ is sitting at the right hand of the throne of God. God starts reviewing the man’s life. Although his life was better in the latter years of his life, from a heavenly perspective, he was a mess, perhaps a hot mess, in his youthful years, middle years, and mid-life crisis years. This man, he had accepted Jesus early in life, but as all of us, he had sinned and fell short of the glory of God. During the supreme review, God mentions just some of the man’s sins and as God speaks, the man cringes in fear. He knows that God does not like sin. God is getting ready to sentence the man to hell. But, as in the case of the aforementioned sports, in those situations where the coach throws a red flag on the field or moves his raise hand in a circular motion to indicate that he desires a further review, Jesus throws forth a scarlet flag and respectively says, “Father, I believe further review is in order.” The Father who loves His Son, grants the review. He says, “Let’s take a look.” Jesus says, “There is no need to have further review in that way. Let me simply say, “He is One of Mine!” Jesus goes on, “He is One who is covered by My righteousness!” Jesus continues, “He is one who falls in the category of those who I died for on Calvary while they were yet sinners! He has been washed in the blood! He has a song that the angels cannot sing, ‘I’ve been redeemed! I’ve been washed in the blood of the crucified one.” After further review, the man is granted admission into the gates of heaven!
Now like I said, this was a combination of imagination and Biblical revelation. The truth of the matter is that we are not saved by our works! We are saved by grace through faith! And being saved, we have a destiny in eternity, and not further review is necessary! But wait a minute now! If you are thinking you don’t have to live holy and you don’t have to life right, you are sadly mistaken. You are to live a sanctified life! You are to live as a saint of God! You are to be living a set-apart life! You are to be making steady, perfect progress, striving for perfection and achieving excellence.
Thank God you know Jesus! And in reality, there will be no need, in your case, for further review. Therefore, rejoice in that truth this Wednesday morning! Have a wonderful and safe day! Smile every time you think, “I’m saved!” Be blessed!
“Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.” (Ephesians 1:7-10 The Message Bible)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King