Welcome to another
SALT challenge! This week I was blessed to have the opportunity to present a topic to our wonderful DT and I chose a verse from I Samual 15:22, "to obey is better than sacrifice."
How can we apply this verse to our modern lives and experiences? We can think of those we know that are very giving, maybe even putting professing Christians to shame. They feed the poor, give a lot of money to charities, sacrifice their time to certain causes, etc. However, these same folks will never bow the knee to Christ. In Matthew 7:22 Jesus tells His followers, “many will say in that day “Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you…”
That said, I agree that works are important, God calls us to good works (James 2:14) but to offer works without faith in Christ is empty. I spent many years proudly boasting of the many things I didn't do. I had a neat little list; I didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, didn’t listen to “worldly” music. The problem? I don't believe that I was trusting in Christ; I was merely worshipping myself and my list of man made rules. Had God not truly changed my heart, I would have been one of the ones He confessed to not know.
My study Bible has this to say on faith and works, "...(there are those) that know the gospel and even agree with it, but fall short of trust in God. Failure to grow, develop, and bear the fruits of righteousness shows that the free gift of Christ has never been received. The answer for those with such a faith is not to save themselves by establishing a righteousness of their own, as if they could create faith by their own efforts, but to call on the name of the Lord (Rom. 10:13)."
I pray that our topic is a blessing and encouragement to you! Feeling inspired to create based on this week's theme? Please visit the
SALT blog to see all of the DT's work and leave us a comment with a link back to your blog or online gallery.
ATC Details: This was a 30-second creation! I used a pre-printed ATC card from Ruby Rock-it and then added a piece of ribbon, circle of coordinating cardstock, verse, and a pre-formed chipboard butterfly (I added a few rhinestones), also from Ruby Rock-it.
Enjoy!
Welcome to another SALT challenge! This week I was blessed to have the opportunity to present a topic to our wonderful DT and I chose a verse from I Samual 15:22, "to obey is better than sacrifice."
How can we apply this verse to our modern lives and experiences? We can think of those we know that are very giving, maybe even putting professing Christians to shame. They feed the poor, give a lot of money to charities, sacrifice their time to certain causes, etc. However, these same folks will never bow the knee to Christ. In Matthew 7:22 Jesus tells His followers, “many will say in that day “Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you…”
That said, I agree that works are important, God calls us to good works (James 2:14) but to offer works without faith in Christ is empty. I spent many years proudly boasting of the many things I didn't do. I had a neat little list; I didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, didn’t listen to “worldly” music. The problem? I don't believe that I was trusting in Christ; I was merely worshipping myself and my list of man made rules. Had God not truly changed my heart, I would have been one of the ones He confessed to not know.
My study Bible has this to say on faith and works, "...(there are those) that know the gospel and even agree with it, but fall short of trust in God. Failure to grow, develop, and bear the fruits of righteousness shows that the free gift of Christ has never been received. The answer for those with such a faith is not to save themselves by establishing a righteousness of their own, as if they could create faith by their own efforts, but to call on the name of the Lord (Rom. 10:13)."
I pray that our topic is a blessing and encouragement to you! Feeling inspired to create based on this week's theme? Please visit the SALT blog to see all of the DT's work and leave us a comment with a link back to your blog or online gallery.
ATC Details: This was a 30-second creation! I used a pre-printed ATC card from Ruby Rock-it and then added a piece of ribbon, circle of coordinating cardstock, verse, and a pre-formed chipboard butterfly (I added a few rhinestones), also from Ruby Rock-it.
Enjoy!
3 comments:
Thanks for the challenge, Kim and for your write up on Salt and here - and such a beautiful ATC x
30 seconds - that's amazing! And I love both the challenge and your ATC Kim
Very pretty card - the butterfly is a great touch! Thanks for the great challenge too! :)
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