Saved by grace, the cry of the Reformation.  As the hymn writer so aptly put it, “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling.”  John reminds us that love is seen in its clearest presentation on the cross of Jesus Christ.  “No greater love then this, that a man lay down his life for a friend.”  When we were his enemies Jesus went to the cross to pay for our sins.

When we look at the cross we are reminded that we can do nothing on our own to appease the wrath of God or atoine in any way for our sins.  It took the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, to lay down his life on our behalf that we might be adopted into the family of God and be saved.

We take comfort in the words of Jesus from the cross when he said, “Father forgive them, they no not what they do.”  Spoken certainly about those who had driven the nails through his hands and feet and hung him up to die, but in a greater sense, Jesus from the cross, looked over all of humanity and prayed forgiveness upon us all.  Jesus saw your sins and mine and prayed for our forgiveness because we acted in ignorance.

The awareness of the love of God demonstrated for us by Jesus on the cross should drive us to love and good works.  Not to find favor with God in any way, but because in response to the love of God we seek to live lives worthy of our calling as children of the most high God.  If we understand what Jesus has done for us how can we not seek to follow him in all that we do.?

When one comes to the awareness that their sins were forgiven because of what Jesus has done their life must change.  If you can look at the cross and walk away unchanged than faith has not taken root in your heart.  To experience the love of God in the forgiveness of one’s sins causes the recipient of grace to walk differently.  The evidence of a changed life is seen in the fruit the life produces.  There are so many images in the Bible of the changed life.  After each healing or deliverance Jesus would say to the person, “Go and sin no more.”  John tells us that “he who practices righteousness is righteous.  The call to the church is to be righteous as he (Jesus) is righteous.

If we follow Johns argument he tells us that the person who practices righteousness is confident before the Father.  Not because they have earned something from God, but rather because they have responded to the grace of God.  That person is emboldened to pray and John assures such a person that their prayers are answered.

It is a progression.  The sinner is granted forgiveness because of what Jesus did on the cross and because the Holy Spirit has awoken faith in their heart.  In response to the love of God the believer seeks to live a life that brings glory to God; by seeking to love God with their whole being and their neighbor as themselves.  The life dedicated to service to God is a life of prayer.  The prayers offered are those that seek a deeper walk with the Lord and the spreading of the kingdom of God.  These prayers God answers.

Let us spend time meditating on the cross of Christ.  From there let us turn and seek to live lives that reflect our thankfulness for all that God, in Christ Jesus, has done for us, and let us go before the Father and seek the furtherance of his kingdom.