Don't think of yourself more highly than you ought...

Spent some time listening to Bruce Ware on Ephesians 1 entitled 'Beholding the Trinitarian God of Our Salvation' (http://www.covlife.org/sermons/ . If you don't like open-theism you will love Bruce Ware, if you do like open-theism you won't think so much about him and if you have no idea what open-theism is then that is a good thing and you should keep trusting in God that He knows what He is doing and will do in the future. Ware was highlighting the propensity for teaching in the church today of a certain ilk that makes it commonplace to hear preaching that suggests to us how valuable we are because God gave His utmost treasure, His only Son to die for us. He challenged the idea that is commonly portrayed that in some way that this was a like for like trade so that, as often happens, we are encouraged to think of ourselves as of equal value to Jesus as the price of offering reflecting the value of the purchase. What Bruce Ware challenges us with is that the exchange was not an exchange that was Christ’s infinite worth for our infinite value primarily but rather Christ’s infinite worth for our infinite debt. Not our value but rather the guilt of our offence- His worth matches the greatness of our sin and guilt before God and that is why Jesus came to die for us.we have no right to heaven, we have no status with God. We cannot earn heavenly citizenship, we cannot win the favour of God. And where is the grace pastor, we might ask? That is the grace- in Jesus Christ we get what we do not deserve, in Jesus Christ we gain what we cannot earn. Grace is not found in my ability or worth or rights if it was it wouldn’t be grace.

Recommended reading on this
C.J. Mahaney- The Cross-Centred Life
http://www.the-highway.com/cross_Packer.html