You Can Only Save Yourself
Food for Thought
An all-creatures.org Guide to Kingdom Living

© by Joyce C. Lock

If I let my mate have their way, they may treat me better.  If I pray long and hard enough, maybe they’ll go to church.  If I share everything I’m learning, perhaps some of it will rub off.  If I’m completely obedient and submissive, they will get saved.

But God says - you can’t save anyone but yourself (Ez. 14:14).

If I choose my children’s friends, I can guard their influence.  If I keep them at my side, perhaps no harm will come.  If I teach them about God from dusk ‘till dawn, they will never stray.  If I do home schooling, I can keep them from the evil one.

But God says - you can’t save anyone but yourself (Ez. 14:16).

If I study all week, my Sunday School class will receive my lesson.  If I speak with tears and emotion, they’ll know all I say is true.  If I keep insisting what I believe, they’ll finally get it.  If I serve all over the church, others will too.

But God says - you can’t save anyone but yourself (Ez. 14:18).

If I dress just right, the world will know I’m a Christian.  If I let people walk on me, they’ll know my God is real.  If I do everything perfectly, others will follow.  If I give away all my possessions, they’ll want what I have.

But God says - you can’t save anyone but yourself (Ez. 14:20).

Do you suppose God knew we wouldn’t get it the first time?

Our outside appearance doesn’t mean anything until it’s a by-product of what’s on the inside.  Our faith is not to be in who we are, but in who God is.

If we’d put all that focus and energy unto our own spiritual growth, just think of the great things we might accomplish!

When our relationship with God is first on our list of priorities, He gives a very special promise.  He’ll leave a remnant for those we love (Ex. 14:22)

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The purpose of this series is to encourage people to live as loving, compassionate, and peacemaking children of God: Jesus tells us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) God tells us through Micah (6:8), "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God." And we know from Revelation 21:4 that there will be no more mourning, or crying, or pain, or death. Thus, Christian living requires us to set the standards of these conditions here on earth for our fellow human beings, and for the other animals, as a witness to the rest of the world. To do otherwise is not Christian.