Exclusions Apply

Since no man is excluded from calling upon God the gate of salvation is open to all. There is nothing else to hinder us from entering, but our own unbelief.  John Calvin

If you ever listen to commercials they are normally always ended with “exclusions apply”.  I hate it when they say that.  If usually means when you go to buy whatever it is they are selling, you are not going to like what you hear.  They convince you with the opening of the commercial that you really can’t live without what they are selling but then they add exclusions apply in print so tiny you can’t read it or talk so fast you can’t understand what the exclusions are in the first place.

So you trek down to the store to buy and you get to the counter and they tell you, “I’m sorry, you can only buy one”, or “this special only applies to generic not name brand”, or how about “you must open a credit card in order to take advantage of this special”, (i.e. I want your money so I am going to make you open a credit card with high interest rates so you will spend more).  I mean I am surprised they haven’t inserted in the exclusion language that you can only purchase if you have 2 kids, 1 turtle, a cat and a bird named Wilbur.  That may sound ridiculous but it has almost gotten to that extreme.   

I would like to hear just one advertiser say “No Exclusions Apply”.  The only thing I know of where “No Exclusions Apply” is being saved by God’s grace.  God doesn’t tell us that since we sinned 40 times we are not allowed in.  He doesn’t tell us that if we sinned 400 times that we are excluded from entering the gates of heaven.  If we want in, God swings the doors open wide and greets us with open arms.  What a comfort it is to know that we can’t be excluded from entering into eternity with Him because He gives us a way in that we don’t deserve.  Salvation is yours and No Exclusions Apply.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, You provide a way into heaven for a sinner like me where I can spend eternity with You.  Jesus paid the price for us so that we could live with You for eternity in heaven. We were excluded until Jesus died on the cross for our sin so that we could have salvation.  You give me the choice and if I want in the only thing it will cost me is to love You and obey You.  That is a cost I will gladly pay.

Scripture: Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!  For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. The Lord has made known His salvation; his righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.   He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of  Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.  Psalm 98:1-3

The Good News of Salvation
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; he has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”  Isaiah 61:1-3