On the back of the doodle I did last year this is what I wrote: “The only thing I saw in my mind while reading ‘Is it my obedience, consecration, and dedication that make me right with God? . . . it is never that!  I am made right with God because, prior to that, Christ died.’–Oswald Chambers, was a fence that held us back and filtered out everything that we did and only accepted what Christ did.  It’s only by going through the cross-shaped hole in the fence that we have life for eternity.”

As I think about what I wrote and doodled in light of what I read this morning it reminds me that we have a life sentence on this earth–a huge fence between us and eternity.  We can try to climb over it (work our way to eternity), get on the ground and try to crawl under with our humble repentance and penance but it’s not till we accept and enter through Christ’s work that we will ever have eternal life.

When I turn to God and by belief accept what God reveals, the miraculous atonement by the Cross of Christ instantly places me into a right relationship with God.  And as a result of the supernatural miracle of God’s grace I stand justified, not because I am sorry for my sin, or because I have repented, but because of what Jesus has done.  The Spirit of God brings justification with a shattering, radiant light, and I know that I am saved, even though I don’t know how it was accomplished.  —Oswald Chambers

Jesus + The Cross = our only way of escape.  Everything was accomplished at the cross–IT IS FINISHED!