Man brings nothing to the table in terms of salvation except a dirty and needy sinner. But if he will truly bring that (which of course would take the drawing of the Holy Spirit -John 6:43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. John 6:44 No man can come to Me, except the Father which has sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.) then he will find that God is a most generous and a most capable Savior!!! He certainly doesn't need any help from us, and without a doubt we are completely incapable in ourselves of giving Him any help. If anyone doubts this it might be helpful for them to meditate on Ephesians 2 for a time.
Well, please consider two precious words with me.
Justification...Imputation....these are very special words, and we find them both in Romans 4 and 5.
First, let's think about Justification.
Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Justified - Declared righteous in the courtroom of heaven but totally unattached to any works on our part. As one song states "Oh what a standing is mine!" The gift of God is eternal life.Outside of Jesus and Jesus alone, the very best you or I can even hope to accomplish is utterly sinful in God's sight. Consider these verses from Isaiah:
Is. 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Is. 64:7 And there is none that calls upon Your name, that stirrs up himself to take hold of You: for You have hid Your face from us, and have consumed us, because of our iniquities.
Justification - a sinner like myself, only deserving of hell, is now accepted in the Beloved. I am pronounced righteous by God Himself.
That leads us to our second special word, imputation.
Rom 4:6 Even as David also describes the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputes righteousness without works,
Imputes - God takes an inventory of those who are born-again and sees them (reckons them, considers them) as righteous and good...without works. Where did that goodness come from? Where does it come from?
That's what the cross of Jesus is all about!
2Co 5:21 For he has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
Every truly saved person, every one who has been born-again, is a saint. They are a holy one. The righteousness of Christ is placed in their account. God imputes it or counts it as their asset (and oh most precious of all assets!!!) apart from works...not based on us doing anything. By the Grace of God alone.
One song puts it this way: "Tis done, the great transactions done! I am the Lord's! and He is mine!"
Imputation - a sinner like myself, only deserving of hell, is now accepted in the Beloved. I am pronounced righteous by God Himself because the very righteousness of His precious, perfect, unblemished Son has been totally and undeservedly eternally given to me.
Does anyone other than God play a part in salvation? Only in providing a hopeless and needy sinner. But that's something I am truly qualified for. What about yourself?
