Once again, we continue our study of the 10 Big Truths. These are truths we should rehearse daily so that they reshape our thinking, our beliefs, and our actions, enabling us to “live worthy of the calling with which [we] have been called” (Eph. 4:1).
This article is part a series on 10 Big Truths to Remember Daily. Find the others here:
A Recap
Two months ago, we began with the foundational truth that God exists, a reality that changes everything. Last month, we considered the truth that God loves you—a truth that both comforts and confronts us. It comforts us because God’s love is steadfast and unconditioned. It confronts us because it reminds us that His love flows not from our worthiness, but from His character. God loves us not because of who we are, but because of who He is. We do not deserve His love, yet He loves us anyway. Therefore, His love is sure, His goodness is certain, and His purposes toward us are always good, even though we do not deserve them.
My hope is that these truths are taking root in your heart and shaping the way you think about God and respond to Him each day.
Jesus Died for You!
Now we turn to the truth that stands at the very center of human history:
Jesus died for you—and if you know Him, God has promised to do good to and for you (Rom. 5:6–11; 1 Pet. 3:18; Rom. 8:28–39).
This truth draws our attention to the cross and helps us understand what Christ has accomplished for us.
We Are Helpless
First, Scripture tells us, “while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:6). We are not merely flawed. We are sinners, utterly unable to rescue ourselves. There is no spiritual mountain to climb. We cannot earn our way into God’s favor by our own efforts. Our only hope is grace. The cross humbles our pride and reveals our need, leading us to place our faith entirely in Christ, who bore the wrath we deserve so that we might be reconciled to God. We are sinners in need of grace, and that grace is found in Jesus Christ alone.
No Spiritual Mountain
Second, this same truth frees us from the exhausting burden of trying to earn God’s favor. God did not accept us based on what we have done, and He does not continue to keep us based on what we do. Our standing with Him rests entirely on the finished work of Christ. This does not remove our responsibility to obey, but it rightly orders it. We obey not to earn God’s love, but because we have already received it. Our obedience flows from grace, as we “work out” what God is already “working in” us (Phil. 2:12–13).
A Good God Working for Our Good
Third, the cross assures us that God is actively working for our good. As Paul writes, “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him” (Rom. 8:28). The cross is the clearest demonstration of this truth. The greatest evil ever committed became the means of the greatest good ever accomplished. If God did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, we can be confident that He is working for our good in all things (Rom. 8:32).
At the same time, we must understand what God means by “good.” Our highest good is not comfort or ease, but conformity to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). This is what God is accomplishing in our lives each day. Even our hardest trials are not wasted. They are used by God to shape us and to accomplish His purposes for us.
10 Big Truths #2: God Loves YouThe Takeaway
So, as we reflect on this truth each day, let it reorient us. When we are tempted toward pride, we remember that we are sinners saved by grace. When we are tempted toward legalism or discouragement, we remember that our acceptance with God rests on Christ alone. When we are tempted to doubt God’s goodness, we look to the cross and remember that He has already worked for us, is now working for us, and will always continue to work for us.
The cross of Christ is the enduring proof that God is working for our good and that He can bring the greatest good out of even the darkest circumstances.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
