The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "UNCLEAN RAGS" for Tuesday, 7 June 2016 with Scripture Ephesians 2:4-14

The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "UNCLEAN RAGS" for Tuesday, 7 June 2016 with Scripture Ephesians 2:4 But God is so rich in mercy and loves us with such intense love 5 that, even when we were dead because of our acts of disobedience, he brought us to life along with the Messiah — it is by grace that you have been delivered. 6 That is, God raised us up with the Messiah Yeshua and seated us with him in heaven, 7 in order to exhibit in the ages to come how infinitely rich is his grace, how great is his kindness toward us who are united with the Messiah Yeshua. 8 For you have been delivered by grace through trusting, and even this is not your accomplishment but God’s gift. 9 You were not delivered by your own actions; therefore no one should boast. 10 For we are of God’s making, created in union with the Messiah Yeshua for a life of good actions already prepared by God for us to do.
11 Therefore, remember your former state: you Gentiles by birth — called the Uncircumcised by those who, merely because of an operation on their flesh, are called the Circumcised — 12 at that time had no Messiah. You were estranged from the national life of Isra’el. You were foreigners to the covenants embodying God’s promise. You were in this world without hope and without God.
13 But now, you who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of the Messiah’s blood. 14 For he himself is our shalom — he has made us both one and has broken down the m’chitzah which divided us

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All our righteous acts are like filthy rags.[Isaiah 64:6 (NIV)]
Growing up on a farm, we were always doing dirty jobs, such as shoveling manure. We learned to repair everything we could ourselves to save money. One time we worked for days trying to replace a clutch on an old tractor. By the time it was done, I was covered with grease, oil, and dirt.
That day my life was just as dirty on the inside because of my sin. In my mind I felt I was all right because I was doing all the religious things I was supposed to do. Then I read the scripture that said “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” Right then, I knew I could never be good enough to merit God’s love.
One of the greatest acts of love that God shows us is grace — God’s forgiveness when we don’t deserve it. Grace is a gift, impossible to earn. Living a good life is important, but we will never be clean enough just by doing good things. We can enjoy God’s grace because Jesus died on the cross for our sins and was raised to new life. When we commit our lives to Christ and rely on God’s grace, we can experience new life as well.
Read more from the author, here."More from Kenn Edwards"

It all changed on October 4, 1970. That’s when I realized that all of my good works will never be enough. Until that point I had hoped my church activities, church membership, and good works would put me in the right place with God. Having been raised in the church, I knew the routine, but what I was missing was a life changing encounter with God. That happened at 8:55 PM. That night my sins were wiped clean because of God's grace and I found Christ in a new and personal way.
Since then my life has taken on a whole new meaning. For the first time, I wanted to study my Bible and learn what being a Christian was all about. I became part of a Lay Witness Mission team sharing Christ in other churches and went on my first international mission trip to South America.
Looking back, I’m glad God changed my life. It’s more than a religious duty—it is a real relationship with my Heavenly Father.
One of my passions is helping Christians realize why we are blessed. We are not an accident. You and I were designed in the image of God, who has a purpose for our lives. Christ has given each of us a reason to live and share his love with the world. I often wonder how someone without Christ can face the difficulties and uncertainties of life. The good news is that when we commit our lives to Christ, everything changes.
My upcoming book, My Footprint for God will be released in July. It helps us recognize the footprint we are leaving on this earth—our spiritual legacy.
To find out more about my ministry or the book, use the links below.[Kenn Edwards, www.FootPrintForGod.com/www.MyChristianLegacy.net]
The Author: Kenn Edwards (New Mexico, USA)
Thought for the Day: I am made clean by Christ.
Prayer: Loving God, thank you for sending your son to die on the cross for us so that our sins may be forgiven. Amen.
Prayer focus: MECHANICS

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