My Inbox of Daily Inspirations: Daily Heartlight -- May 7, 2008

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May 7, 2008

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=========================== TODAY'S ARTICLE ==========================

Earning a Reward, by Tim Archer

My wife just traveled to Argentina and back. That trip would normally
have cost more than we could pay, but it turned out to be quite
affordable. We were able to pay for that trip with miles we had accrued
by taking other trips. In the language of the airline industry, we had
earned a reward.

That's a popular concept these days. Many companies offer incentives
based on your purchases with them. Take enough trips and you earn
another one. Stay in a hotel and earn another stay. Use your credit
card and earn rewards. Buy flowers, shop at the hardware store, rent
movies, eat pizza … there are lots of ways you can get free things by
earning bonuses.

I have no problem with that system. I like being rewarded. One problem
I see, though, is that we often want to look at God as operating in the
same way. If we do enough of the right things, we reason, God will be
obligated to give us our reward. That's how many people in the world
see it. Just make sure that you have done enough right things, and your
future is secured.

Heaven doesn't have a rewards program.

But that's not how God works. He doesn't expect us to earn the reward
that He has to give. And there is nothing that we can do to obligate
God to do anything. What He gives, He gives because of His grace, not
because we have been able to force Him to do something. What He offers,
He offers freely, not with a price that we have to pay. There's not
even a rewards plan where we can accrue enough points to go to heaven.
It all depends on God. The apostle Paul wrote: "For it is by grace you
have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is
the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians
2:8-9).

There's no Frequent Prayers Plan, no Platinum Church Members Plan.
There's just Jesus and His sacrifice. By accepting what He did for us
with a loving, obedient faith, we get the reward that He earned for us.
Now that's a great plan!

If you'd like to know more about God's reward, write to me at
tim@hopeforlife.org or leave a comment on our blog at
www.hopeforlife.org/blog.

(Expressed written consent must be obtained prior to republishing,
retransmitting or otherwise reusing the content of this article.
Contact us at info@hopeforlife.org)

Are you presently experiencing a new life? God's word says, "if anyone
is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has
come!"

This new life is a free gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ. If
you want to know more about this life that only Jesus can give you,
sign up for one of our Bible courses. Wherever you are in life,
whatever you've done, you can begin again.

You may also contact us at info@hopeforlife.org if you have questions
about becoming a new creation.

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(c) 2008 Herald of Truth

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Daily Heartlight -- May 7, 2008