This morning’s email had this encouraging message from my friend Edward Fudge in his gracEmail. This is the 2nd in a series called “Pep Talk”. Here are his words unedited.

Jesus is high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, based on the character of his life. Because he lives forever, he saves forever. And so we are saved by Jesus and we are perfected forever–those whom he sanctified. We’re sanctified and we’re perfected forever because we are given to God on the basis of the perfect obedience of Jesus. If it depended on our human record, if it was up to our faithfulness to determine whether we were saved or not, then it would be a matter of God having to re-examine the record every day, or several times through the day, and saying “Well, you’re okay right now . . . Oops! sorry, you just slipped. Well, now you’re back in . . . Oops, you’re out again. Today was a good day . . . tomorrow could be better . . . but it could be worse.” There’s no certainty, there’s no assurance. There’s not much hope.

The sad thing is that a lot of people who think they’re Christians, who think they’re following Jesus Christ, who think they’ve learned the Gospel, live that kind of life of uncertainty. And at age 85, after a very long Christian life full of sacrifice, service, and good works, they come to their death bed and say, “Well, I hope I have done enough that I might squeeze in and be saved.” Folks, we don’t squeeze in. Jude says God will give you an abundant entrance–because it doesn’t depend on out little lives. If it depended on our ability and our record and our history we wouldn’t even squeeze in. God would just say: “There’s not even a close call. SCRAM! The other place with you!”

We will have an abundant entrance because we come on the basis of the life and the faithfulness and the obedience of Jesus Christ–all of which Jesus offered to the Father as the one sacrifice that can ever take away sins. Jesus did it right and he did it perfectly. Because he did it perfectly, he only needed to do it one time. And when he ha done it one time, God raised Jesus from the dead and made him priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. God is pleased with his life. He’s pleased with his priesthood. He’s pleased with his intercession. Because Jesus represents his people and because his obedience and his suffering were done by him in their name, God is also pleased with Jesus’ people. And Jesus lives forever and he saves forever and he intercedes forever and we can come to him–and to God through him–forever.

Any view of salvation that is less than what Edward says here I believe to be less than the gospel presented in Scripture. He expresses my view of Christ’s accomplishments precisely but he says it much better than I can.

You can sign up for gracEmail and access volumes of Edward Fudge’s teaching by visiting his site, EdwardFudge.com .  Happy Father’s Day!

Royce