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| “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” |
| —1 Corinthians 15:2a |
Did you ever receive a gift as a child that you simply would not put down? Everywhere you went, you would hold on firmly to this gift. Perhaps it was a Christmas or Birthday present.
You had longed for this gift for weeks. You had seen it in the Sears catalog. And now, your loving parents had graciously given you exactly that for which you had longed.
We were all created in the image of God. We bear His stamp within the core of our beings —what theologians call the Imago Dei. This stamp of God creates a connection to our Creator that cannot be broken.
It is a great mystery, but among those He has created, God has chosen some to whom He sends His Holy Spirit to produce a longing within them to move from mere creations to children—children of God.
The Holy Spirit reveals to these chosen ones that God has given them a life-transforming gift through His Son’s death and resurrection. (see John 1:12)
Just as children will cling to a special gift given to them by their parents, so we whom God has called must cling to the gift of His overwhelming mercy, grace, and love.
The Apostle Paul confirms this when he makes this statement in 1 Corinthians 15:1-2:
Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.
By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
As we begin a new day, let us hold firmly to the truth of the very Gospel which has transformed us from mere creations of God to His dearly loved children.
