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“So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him.” 2 Kings 5:14a (NIV)

Naaman conquered many battles for his nation, Syria, and was known as a man of valor by all. There was only one thing… a major thing about him: he was a leper. But God had a plan for that man and through a simple, humble servant girl who had been snatched earlier on from the land of Israel, God sent Naaman a message of how he could be healed. She suggested that Naaman would go see the prophet Elisha, known as the man of God.

All that the man of God said to the great commander was, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” The man was outraged of course, as he did not see the waters of the Jordan River fit for someone of his caliber. Naaman wanted to go wash up in a river in his own country, whose waters, in his view, were more equate for someone like him. Can you believe the man almost did not get his blessing because of his prideful actions? I mean, who, in his own mind would choose leprosy over health?

It is somewhat evident that Naaman had not ever experienced the power of the one true God. But again, God’s favor came over him when his servants begged him to listen to the prophet and do what he said, because it was a simple task for him to go down the Jordan and dip himself seven times.

Long story short, the great commander humbled himself and gave way for the Lord to act in his life. He dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, and when he emerged the last time, the Bible says his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was cleansed from his leprosy. He was healed. Completely. Clean for good! All because he stripped himself of his pride and gave way to the Holy Spirit’s leading.

“Help us, Lord, to be humble and to listen to Your voice and obey Your command.”

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesian 2:8-9

Many (most) of you all reading this probably grew up doing some type of competitive sport or activity—maybe dance, track, tennis, or swimming. For me, it was soccer. I started playing in third grade. Soon I was in a high-level travel league (once the “Boys Club” become “Youth Club”), and the months and years through high school were filled with plenty of blood, sweat, and tears. But there was always that motivational carrot, right? The trophy or medal—the ultimate reward for hard work and dedication.

Over the past 10-15 years, things have shifted in our culture. Gone are the hardcore competitions at youth levels. “First place” has been “re-placed” by “participation awards.” When my two boys played various sports as kids, some leagues didn’t even keep score. Everyone who plays gets a trophy.

But when everyone wins, it’s not a reward anymore…it’s a gift. The prize is no longer earned. It’s given freely, regardless of effort.

Whatever your perspective on this aspect of kids’ sports (and you probably land on one side of the debate or the other), it actually serves as a wonderful analogy for the saving grace of Jesus Christ. See, every world religion—as well as many “Christian” denominations—believe that salvation is to be earned as a reward. If you work hard enough, doing more good than bad stuff, then the “trophy” of heaven is yours!

It’s true that God is Holy and cannot tolerate anything but perfection in His presence. And since we’re all sinners and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), hard work and great effort are indeed necessary to bridge that chasm between our unrighteousness and His righteousness—the Justice of God demands it. A price of blood, sweat, and tears must be paid for the ultimate Prize of heaven.

But, friend, it’s already been paid, the work has been done. God, in His kindness toward us, made a way of reconciliation with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:4-9). Salvation is a gift—not a reward! We do not (cannot) earn it, no matter how hard we work. We can never do enough to be Holy enough to stand in God’s presence. But we don’t have to! By His tears, sweat, and Blood, Jesus accomplished what we could not, covering our every sin (past, present, and future) with His righteousness. All we have to do is participate!

If you’ve been tirelessly working to justify yourself to our Holy God, you can rest now. Accept the gift of salvation through grace (getting what we don’t deserve) by faith alone. Just acknowledge your sin, turn away from it, and surrender to Jesus…and the prize of heaven is yours.

“Lord, thank You for the great gift of salvation—that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8), paying the price we could never pay for the riches of heaven.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life