No Merit in Me!

       Several months ago, I attended a service in which the preacher, Paul DeJong, speaking from Romans 1, made the statement that “our salvation has no merit of ours in it.” He then went on to contrast it with a surgeon who does 90% of the surgery, then says, “I’ve done enough. The patient can finish it!” ―In actual fact, the surgeon does all the work of the operation, 100%―and so did Jesus.

        The preacher then did a shocking thing. He had everybody take their sermon note page and get ready to write what he would dictate. Then he dictated,

        “I, Paul DeJong, (but put your own name in here)…I, Paul DeJong, truly deserve hell! Jesus Christ took my hell. There is nothing left for me but His heaven.”

       I was stunned but thrilled. Thank you, Jesus, for doing that for me! And from the corner of my eye, I could see that countless others had written down his dictation as well. May that truly have been a moment of salvation or renewal for many.