Everything Possible

This week I had the privilege to deliver some of our Faith in Action food boxes to various communities in need here in Santiago. It's awesome to see the hope that a simple box of groceries brings to a family. But more than that, it was a privilege to share the Gospel with these families that we have prayed for now for weeks. Everyone was very receptive to the food and to the Gospel. I also had my first opportunity (in Chile) to personally lead a mom and her adult daughter to the Lord with a local pastor outside their home. We are working now to get these folks connected to local churches in their area.

In all of the places where we take the boxes, we always seek to start Gospel conversations and see where that takes us. Almost everyone we talked to used the phrase "everything possible" as in, "I hope I will go to heaven, and I do everything possible to be a good person and treat others kindly..." 

In a country rooted in Catholicism, this is a common view that teaches that our performance/good works are a key part of earning salvation. 

We were able to point them to Jesus' conversation with the Rich Man in Matthew 19. He had done everything possible to save himself. He had kept the law to the best of his ability, and I am sure from his proud and pious response that he sure seemed like a good person on the surface especially if he compared himself to his peers (as we typically do). 

He asked in verse 20, "What do I still lack?" This man was very religious and he firmly believed that he was a good person, as close to perfect as humanly possible, but he still lacked something, and he knew it. But he didn't know what IT was. He was certain of his goodness but uncertain of his eternal destiny. 

Jesus saw through his question and into his heart. He responded in a specific way to his personal blind-spot. He knew the man was rich and that his riches were most important to him. Riches were an idol to him in a sense (breaking the first commandment). But he left sad because he could not give up the idol of riches in his life. 

Later Jesus explained the scenario to his disciples because they saw the conversation unfold and they were now also confused about who can be saved and how...

Jesus replied in Matthew 19:26,

"Humanly speaking, this is impossible, but with God everything is possible" 

Good works don't work. God has already done the work for us.

Even if we do 'everything (humanly) possible' it will never be enough. The only way to reach a relationship with God is through belief in Jesus and in His finished Work for us on the cross.

It was awesome to see two new sisters come to Christ this past week. What an encouragement to witness them pass from death unto life. There is still much work to do to get the Gospel of God's grace to others.