On Sunday the Houston Astros secured a playoff spot by winning their division
shockingly with a record of 81-81. They are by record the worst team to ever qualify for the MLB playoffs, all thanks to playing in a terrible division. No one else in their division had a winning record, nor really pushed to have one, including the Astros. You see going into the season each of the division contending teams addressed needs through trades and acquisitions minimally, knowing that the rest of the division had done the same. Luckily for the Astros, their choice did work as everyone else was just a little bit worse.
Often, I think we view our salvation and sanctification through this lens, just be slightly better than everyone else and we will get our ticket to the “playoffs” or heaven. This simply isn’t true, neither of those things are even in our control.
Our salvation is easiest to grasp; we all agree that God is the one who saves. Jesus
died on the cross to make atonement for our sins and reconciled us holy and blameless before the Father. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast”. There is nothing you can control or add to your salvation that will make you worthy before God, only through Christ are we made worthy.
Our sanctification is harder to grasp; we often think that it lies all in our own hands. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 6:11 “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God”. Notice how “you” received these
things, they are not of your own doing. And it is a glorious thing that the Lord sanctifies us! Can you imagine if the road to sanctification was in our hands, the hands of sinners? What a disaster that would be – check out the Old Testament for reference.
We should be concerned with our salvation and sanctification; we are called to be righteous and holy people. But how many of us think “at least I am better than that guy”? How many of us think “I’ll just skirt on by in this life knowing I’m saved”? Jesus made atonement for our sins and saved us, but he also calls us to do more than just get by. We should seek him with the entirety our hearts, souls, and minds every single day! Our “records” are far worse than 81-81. We are by far the worst playoff team to “get in”, and no “trade or acquisition” we make will make us better. But by his grace, we are given a perfect record, that is the best that ever was, for no doing of our own. That alone should encourage you immensely to glorify our Lord. I pray that you would seek the Lord and glorify him with all that you have this week brothers and sisters!
- Slade Knowlton
shockingly with a record of 81-81. They are by record the worst team to ever qualify for the MLB playoffs, all thanks to playing in a terrible division. No one else in their division had a winning record, nor really pushed to have one, including the Astros. You see going into the season each of the division contending teams addressed needs through trades and acquisitions minimally, knowing that the rest of the division had done the same. Luckily for the Astros, their choice did work as everyone else was just a little bit worse.
Often, I think we view our salvation and sanctification through this lens, just be slightly better than everyone else and we will get our ticket to the “playoffs” or heaven. This simply isn’t true, neither of those things are even in our control.
Our salvation is easiest to grasp; we all agree that God is the one who saves. Jesus
died on the cross to make atonement for our sins and reconciled us holy and blameless before the Father. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast”. There is nothing you can control or add to your salvation that will make you worthy before God, only through Christ are we made worthy.
Our sanctification is harder to grasp; we often think that it lies all in our own hands. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 6:11 “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God”. Notice how “you” received these
things, they are not of your own doing. And it is a glorious thing that the Lord sanctifies us! Can you imagine if the road to sanctification was in our hands, the hands of sinners? What a disaster that would be – check out the Old Testament for reference.
We should be concerned with our salvation and sanctification; we are called to be righteous and holy people. But how many of us think “at least I am better than that guy”? How many of us think “I’ll just skirt on by in this life knowing I’m saved”? Jesus made atonement for our sins and saved us, but he also calls us to do more than just get by. We should seek him with the entirety our hearts, souls, and minds every single day! Our “records” are far worse than 81-81. We are by far the worst playoff team to “get in”, and no “trade or acquisition” we make will make us better. But by his grace, we are given a perfect record, that is the best that ever was, for no doing of our own. That alone should encourage you immensely to glorify our Lord. I pray that you would seek the Lord and glorify him with all that you have this week brothers and sisters!
- Slade Knowlton
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