"Denying The Power"

"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." 2 Timothy 3:5

 

There are a lot of people who have a "form of godliness". They look and act religious. They talk about God. They do religious things but they deny the power of God. These are people who are putting their faith in their works. They believe they are right with God, are a Christian and are going to heaven because they have joined a church once upon a time. They believe they are saved because they believe God exist. They are basing their whole eternity on the fact that they do religious things-- go to church, give offerings, sing in the choir, etc. 

 

When you put your faith in your religious works to save you, you are denying the power of God-- the real hope of salvation. What is the "power" it is talking about? "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18) The cross is the power of God to save the lost. It was at the cross where the price was paid and atonement made for our sins. When a person is depending on their good/religious works to save them, they have denied the power of the cross and the power that was in the shed blood of Jesus to save them. 

 

Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. (Hebrews 9:22) All the good deeds one can do, all the religious acts one can perform, all the offerings you could give, all the church service you do will never save you. Good works have no "power" to save or deliver us from the hold of sin or its penalty. All have sinned, and there is only one thing that can wash our sins away-- and it is not church attendance, giving to the poor, paying tithes, teaching Sunday School, etc. The only thing that has the power to save us is the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross. 

 

If you are placing your hope of eternal life, forgiveness of sin and a home in heaven on your good works or even on your knowledge that God is real, and your faith is not in what Jesus did at the cross as the only means of salvation then you are denying the power thereof. If you deny the power of the cross to save you and put your trust in religious "forms" to save you, one day when you stand before God He will deny you. You will not enter into heaven, and instead of recognizing your good deeds, He will call you a worker of iniquity (a worker of evil). 

 

Have a great day. If your trust is in your good deeds and religious acts to save you, you are denying the only true power to save you, and that is the cross. 

 

For further reading:

Romans 3:23

Ephesians 2:8,9

Titus 3:5

Matthew 7:23

 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

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