End of summer is just around the corner. Wonderful day for grilling burgers, hotdogs, steaks and fries followed by soda and intertwined with family activities. A great day for relaxing. Years ago, I was at my mechanic’s shop and asked him if he’d close for Labor Day. Expecting him to say yes, he instead asked me how Labor Day translated into Spanish. I told him, “Dia del trabajo,” (day of work) and he said, “There you go, it’s a day of work!” So, he worked and had his employees show up for work as usual. I told him that wasn’t right, but that’s how he saw it.
All across the country and even worldwide, people work all the time. Millions though, are hard at work working towards their salvation. From rituals to good deeds, people sacrifice years and years of their lives trying to appease God and trying all they can think of to please Him. They want to reserve a seat in Heaven. They want to cancel their debts with Him. Some think that if they do more good deeds than the bad ones they committed; they’ll balance out. Sadly, they’re working hard in vain. Nothing we do will earn God’s favor. “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that is not of yourself: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). But the fact that we want to do something towards our salvation indicates we want to honor Him. That’s a commendable thing, though unnecessary. Trillions of years ago, he decided to save us. He decided that at the appointed time He’d lay down His life for us to draw us close to Him.
There’s no need to work for something’s that’s already ours; for something that’s already paid for. All we need do is claim it by setting our lives aright with God. Invite Him in to your life. Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead that we might not have to work or strive to save ourselves. Believe it. Not believing it makes the preaching of His message of salvation in vain as well as our faith vain (1 Corinthians 15:14). Bottom line: cease from trying to please Him through your own works. You can’t buy His love. You can’t buy your way into Heaven. But WHY? Hundreds of millions want to know why can’t they ‘chip in’ & help poor-old-God. The answer is simple: God will not share His glory with anyone. He doesn’t want you or me bragging on how we helped Him out saving ourselves. Ephesians 2:9 says, “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” He doesn’t want us becoming someone else’s proxy for their salvation. He doesn’t want any man being an in-between-man. There is only ONE mediator between man and God; the man Christ Jesus (1st Timothy 2:5). He did it all and all is finished.
You can, however, pre-order a ticket of residence by accepting through faith His sacrificial death and resurrection for you. You’ll have your name written in Heaven in God’s Book of Life.
So, this Labor Day have Him fellowship with you. Enjoy your burgers or whatever you eat. Begin a new way of enjoying the holiday by permanently ceasing from your fruitless labors towards eternal life. Place your faith in God. The book of Hebrews (10:12) tells us, “But this man (Jesus), after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.”
God Bless!