For you and me personally

“…I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
–Gal. 2:20b

A Walk of Faith devotional by Dave Bunnell

More times than I can count, we’ve been telling the gospel to people in Romania, and told them of how Christ died on the cross for their sins, only to hear in response, “No, He didn’t die for me and my sins—He died for the whole world.”

Coming from an eastern orthodox background, that’s what they’ve largely been taught—that Christ died for the world in general, to make it possible for us to live a life good enough to earn God’s favor if we follow His rules well enough. But each person will remain responsible for his own sins against God in eternity, as the bad we do is weighed against the good to determine our final destiny. That false teaching is an easy sell for the orthodox priests, because it is what the fleshly human heart wants to believe: I can be good enough that God should accept me, the heart whispers to itself.

The verse above from Galatians provides God’s answer to their misconception.

When Jesus was on the cross, He wasn’t just making atonement in general. He was showing His love for me as an individual. He was giving His life for me. I was so drenched in sin and degradation that for me to come to God and please Him would require a price no lower than the very life of the invaluable Son of God sacrificed in my place. And although I didn’t deserve it, and never will deserve it, He loved me. He not only loved me, but loved me soooooo much that He gave Himself for me.

And He gave Himself for you, too. Personally. He valued you enough to pay that ultimate price for you. Galatians 2 says so, in personal terms. Think on that for a few moments. Let it sink in fresh and new. Let this truth run through your mind throughout the day today, restoring unto you the joy of His salvation: “Jesus loves me, and gave Himself for me.” Then live by that faith with exceeding joy.