Save Us!

At our church we have our youth group, 6th – 12th grade, on Sunday nights at 6pm. We have been doing a series on the Ten Commandments with our students and last Sunday God asked my small group some big questions and I felt even moved to be a part of what he did!

When you read the Ten Commandments you find there are five that tells us a little about God’s character, and five that tell us things that we shouldn’t do. When we first started this series I was worried that my guys would just kinda blow the whole thing off. I mean any Christian has heard the Ten Commandments before right? I came to find real quickly some didn’t know what they even were. If this didn’t burden me enough, God showed me a new point of view on these Commandments.

I went out to eat with a pastor the other week, and he took a minute to tell me a small story. I don’t think he knew the impact God was going make in my life through it, however, he told it. When he was in Bible College he had this one really old professor. He was scrawny, and has long white hair, and he was….. well old. Well as students they really looked up to the guy because they thought that he did everything he could to honor God. He was humble, slow to anger, and very merciful. One day he finally asked him, what is it that you do, or what has God shown you that has allowed you to walk your faith journey the way you do? The pastor looked at me and said, “Bryan, I was shocked at the truth that he gave me that day!” He said his professor got real teary eyed, looked at him and said, “Every day I walk this earth, God has shown me how much more I am in need of a savior.” Wow I thought. how truthful is that? I couldn’t shake this question all week!

God used that story to give me this new outlook on the Ten Commandments. They ARE NOT a simple “to do” list! They ARE NOT what save you! They ARE NOT rules given by a God who has no idea what we’re going through! They are a proof that I, Bryan Allard, am constantly in need of a savior. You know how many times I have other things before God? You know how many times I’ve lived my life in a way that takes the Lord’s name in vain? You know how many times I could have possibly killed someone’s soul by encouraging them to sin? God shown me that it’s true when I think I can never attain these commandments if I’m walking in my own strength, my own way, my own will. However, through Jesus’ death and resurrection I can accomplish all of the Commandments. He did it for me, so that I can come to the Father

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:15-16

Remember, we deserve to die, but God loves us soo much that he sent Christ to die in our place!