Can You Earn It?

"Saving Private Ryan" was an instant classic.  It is a moving film which follows a group of Army Rangers during World War II and their mission to bring Private Ryan safely home.  The plot follows Captain John H. Miller as he leads a team of men through dangerous territory to find Ryan.  It was not an easy task.  It ended up costing many men their lives, including Captain Miller.  As he sat dying on the bridge valiantly held by the Allied forces, his final words to Ryan were, "James...earn this.  Earn it."

Captain Miller and many others gave the ultimate sacrifice to fulfill their orders and bring James Ryan safely home.  Miller pointed to the enormous cost and sacrifice demonstrated by his fellows soldiers as the impetus for Ryan to live a life worthy of it.  At the end of the film, an elderly Ryan stood at the grave of the deceased Captain, wondering if he had done enough.  In my opinion, there is no possible way Ryan could have ever lived a good enough life to justify the cost.  Yet that's not really the point.  Ryan lived his life mindful of the price paid and was moved to do his best.  What more could he possibly do?  The lives lost on the field of battle for country and to save him no doubt spurned Ryan on to finish well.

As Easter draws near, I am reminded of the greatest sacrifice ever.  It was not on the field of battle, nor was it for country or a single man.  Jesus Christ was without sin, and laid down His life on Calvary for the sins of the world.  There is no possible way that we can live our lives worthy of earning such a sacrifice of love and grace, that God would put on human flesh and die for sinful men.  Jesus never suggested for us to earn that sacrifice.  It is too high a price.  It is a gift which can only be received.  But we would do well to live motivated by His sacrifice.  Even as Private Ryan remembered the exhortation spoken to him by a dying Captain, so we ought to remember the sacrifice of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, we have been given the ability to walk worthily of Christ's sacrifice.  We are not worthy of His sacrifice, but we can walk in a way that honours and glorifies God for all He has done.  Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12 reads, "You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; ¹¹ as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, ¹² that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory."  The Greek word translated "worthy" here means, "appropriately, as becoming."  What is the appropriate way for us to live, seeing that Christ gave all for us?  Paul's conduct was appropriate:  devout, just, and blameless, like Jesus before him.

The prayer recorded in Colossians 1:9-15 well describes this calling for those who have received Christ:  "For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰ that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹ strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; ¹² giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. ¹³ He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."  We can't live a good enough life to earn it, but let's walk worthy of Christ's sacrifice.