Knock Yourself Out

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Some of us make the Christian life far harder than it needs to be. We knock ourselves out instead of trusting God.

Program Transcript

I read an interesting story
about a boxer in the 1930s named C.D. “Bigboy” Blalock. Bigboy once took a
fight against a boxer from Mississippi whose name has long since been forgotten. In
fact, it seems the only reason Bigboy’s name is remembered is because of what
happened in that one fight.

Now Bigboy was a powerful
man with a devastating roundhouse punch. He decided to try his big haymaker
against the boxer from Mississippi, but at that very moment his opponent stepped
in close.

The crook of Bigboy’s elbow
caught the man’s head causing Bigboy’s massive fist to arc around squarely into
his own jaw.

Bigboy went down for the
count – the only boxer we know of who literally knocked himself out.

Like Bigboy and his big
roundhouse punch, some of us make the Christian life far harder than it needs
to be. We knock ourselves out instead of trusting God to be our all in all.

We are God’s beloved
children because Jesus saves sinners—not because we are good at landing
powerful punches against sin.

We can
stop worrying about whether we will “make it.” We already have—not
because we fought sin long and hard, but because Jesus is our righteousness. In
Jesus, and in Jesus alone, God and humanity are one—reconciled. We are sinless only
because we stand in Christ, not because of some spiritual right hook we might
think we have.

God
does not save righteous people. He only saves sinners who trust him. That is the only way you can be counted among the saved: by
facing the truth that you are a sinner–no better than any sinner, and then
trusting God to save you.

Romans
5:8 tells us: “…God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were
still sinners, Christ died for us.”

You cannot be saved by being
good. You cannot be saved by avoiding bad. You cannot be saved by being more
good than bad. There’s no need to knock yourself out – it won’t save you.

You cannot be saved by
anything you do at all. You are saved only one way, by God’s grace. The only
way you can enter into and enjoy that salvation is by taking God at his word,
that is, by believing the good news.

I’m
Joseph Tkach, speaking of LIFE.

Program Transcript

I read an interesting story
about a boxer in the 1930s named C.D. “Bigboy” Blalock. Bigboy once took a
fight against a boxer from Mississippi whose name has long since been forgotten. In
fact, it seems the only reason Bigboy’s name is remembered is because of what
happened in that one fight.

Now Bigboy was a powerful
man with a devastating roundhouse punch. He decided to try his big haymaker
against the boxer from Mississippi, but at that very moment his opponent stepped
in close.

The crook of Bigboy’s elbow
caught the man’s head causing Bigboy’s massive fist to arc around squarely into
his own jaw.

Bigboy went down for the
count – the only boxer we know of who literally knocked himself out.

Like Bigboy and his big
roundhouse punch, some of us make the Christian life far harder than it needs
to be. We knock ourselves out instead of trusting God to be our all in all.

We are God’s beloved
children because Jesus saves sinners—not because we are good at landing
powerful punches against sin.

We can
stop worrying about whether we will “make it.” We already have—not
because we fought sin long and hard, but because Jesus is our righteousness. In
Jesus, and in Jesus alone, God and humanity are one—reconciled. We are sinless only
because we stand in Christ, not because of some spiritual right hook we might
think we have.

God
does not save righteous people. He only saves sinners who trust him. That is the only way you can be counted among the saved: by
facing the truth that you are a sinner–no better than any sinner, and then
trusting God to save you.

Romans
5:8 tells us: “…God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were
still sinners, Christ died for us.”

You cannot be saved by being
good. You cannot be saved by avoiding bad. You cannot be saved by being more
good than bad. There’s no need to knock yourself out – it won’t save you.

You cannot be saved by
anything you do at all. You are saved only one way, by God’s grace. The only
way you can enter into and enjoy that salvation is by taking God at his word,
that is, by believing the good news.

I’m
Joseph Tkach, speaking of LIFE.

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