SCANDALOUS

How God saved Noah on the ark is how God saves everyone.  Usually the story of Noah is told that everybody was bad except for this one guy.  Nobody was deserving but him.  So all the bad guys had to swim and Noah got a boat.  That's kind of how the story is often told.

The problem is that can become something akin to works righteousness if we're not careful, that God hates bad people and God loves good people.  Not so.  The truth is, the world is filled with two kinds of people --- sinners --- and Jesus.  That's pretty much it.

'The world is filled with two kinds of people --- sinners --- and Jesus.'

I'm a sinner ... you're a sinner ... the people living next to both of us are sinners.  And then, there's Jesus.  What spared Noah was God's favor ... God's grace.  That's what is going to spare you and me.  Grace.

Undeserving, rich, scandalous grace.  God decided to love you, not because you were lovely or lovable, but because God is loving.

It's not what you do; it's what Jesus does.  It's not who you are; it's who Jesus is.  It's not about who's good or bad because we're all bad.  It's about Jesus receiving our punishment as our substitute in our place so we could receive grace.

That is so amazing.

And be blessed.