PERFECT CREDIT RATING... Sunday

Devotional for 7/12/15

A good credit score helps us in the financial world.  With a good rating we have less difficulty getting loans with a good rate, taking out a mortgage, or getting a higher limit for a credit card.  A good credit score is considered to be 720 or greater.  After a while if you pay your bills on time, carry a line of credit less than 30% of your income but pay off the balance every month, and never default on a loan, your credit score can be in the 800's, like mine and my husband's.  A perfect score is 850.  The closer people get to that magic number, apparently, the harder they strive for that elusive "perfect credit rating."

Many people "keep score" in their lives like that.  Giving to a charity: check.  Giving 10%, a tithe, to the church: double check.  Giving more than 10% in total donations: priceless!  Or it can be doing good works like volunteering at a local food pantry once a week, which then leads to helping at a homeless shelter several times a week, and then grows to leading a prison ministry.  While these are worthy causes, some people may think that the more they do, the more points they score with God.  This can lead to the trap of impossible perfectionism.

In sports and other games whoever amasses the most points wins.  But what if no one wins unless they get a perfect score?  That's what God expects, a perfect score to get into heaven.  Anyone who wants to work their way into heaven has to get a "perfect credit rating" in God's eyes.  Impossible?  For us, yes, but for God, nothing is impossible.  Only God can earn that perfect score for us.  That is why He sent his only son, Jesus, to earn our salvation through his death and resurrection, the only one who could earn that perfect score on earth.  And God will give us credit when we believe and are faithful through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 4:1-3, 23-25 (NIV) What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter?  If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about - but not before God.  What does Scripture say?  "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."...  The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness - for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.  He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for earning our salvation by being perfect for us and dying on the cross in our place. Help us to realize we are given a perfect credit rating not because of what we do, but because of what you have already done in your death and resurrection.  Help us by the power of your Holy Spirit to believe and be your faithful followers.  In your name we pray, Amen.

written by Jan Andersen  

song: Perfect Sacrifice by Trent