The thief on the cross is an excellent example of
this. He did nothing but to look upon Jesus and ask for mercy. The Holy Spirit
had to have opened his eyes to see Jesus for whom He is, in keeping with the
principle that we must receive something from God in order to be saved.
And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high
time to awake out of sleep… put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision
for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. Romans 13:11a, 14
The New Covenant is a biblical promise, initiated by God and
mediated through Jesus Christ, offering salvation by grace, total forgiveness
of sins, and the internal transformation of believers (writing laws on hearts)
rather than adhering to the external, broken Old Covenant law. It is
established by Jesus' sacrifice, making it an everlasting, spiritual
relationship.
On this Remembrance Day, it is good to remember those who fought, died, and lived for our freedom. It is also good to remember the extraordinary price Jesus paid to be able to forgive us our sins.
Our unconditional surrender
requires us to make Jesus Christ Lord of every aspect of our lives. God wants
us complete in Eternity, but I’m inclined to believe that He can only accept
those parts of us that have been completely surrendered to Jesus’ Lordship.
