Day 5

We Cannot Save Ourselves

from the This Is the Gospel reading plan


Matthew 19:16-22, Isaiah 24:1-6, Romans 8:5-11, 18-25, Hebrews 7:26-28, Hebrews 9:22

BY Kaitie Stoddard

Have you ever waited for something you really wanted? Like really wanted. I bet we all have. Whether you wanted a friend on your first day of school, a fairytale romance, or an elf to do your laundry, we all know what it’s like to wait for something to come to fruition. 

It’s hard to be patient when we have big hopes and dreams. We want what we want—now. And while all dreams are different, I believe we have one in common: above all else, we long for heaven.

If we’re honest, we all feel unsatisfied with something in this life. From our personal lives to our politics, our world is grumbling and groaning (Romans 8:22–23). Maybe our relationships haven’t provided the community we need, or our jobs aren’t utilizing our full potential. Or maybe we aren’t the women we know we were created to be. For most of us, there are many sources of personal frustration. Societally, we hear stories of tragedy every day. Tales of injustice and war flood our news feeds. The world is broken. The effects of the fall reverberate in and around us because things are not as they should be.

But why are we surprised when we encounter disappointment in this life? Where does this strong sense that the world should be better come from? We long for a perfect world we’ve never experienced. C.S. Lewis put it best when he said, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” 

We were made for another world! In our heartbreak, discouragement, and righteous anger there is a yearning for the new heaven and new earth. Paul describes our eagerness and groaning like a woman in childbirth (v.22). We can’t wait “for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies” (v.23). Yet this redemption is not something we can accomplish on our own. Our separation from the holy God is a chasm we are utterly and irrefutably unable to cross. 

Only Christ can reconcile us to God. His sacrifice paid for our sins. His resurrection defeated death forever. The world around us “wastes away and withers,” but we must remember the story isn’t over yet. Jesus came to offer eternal hope, and Jesus is coming back. “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us” (v.18).  

When we feel the weight of the pain and brokenness of this world, we must remember the greater story. We are caught in a fallen world between redemption and restoration. We who have the firstfruits of the Spirit within us should be groaning for more, waiting eagerly and with patience. We long for heaven, and heaven is coming.

Post Comments (55)

55 thoughts on "We Cannot Save Ourselves"

  1. Marcey KIEBERT says:

    Today was refreshing. Going over my spirit and flesh, but I know I have the Lord’s spirit, I dance the line with spirit and flesh daily having to remind myself, nope don’t jump into that gossip conversation, nope stay steady and not quit my job. I faulter and fail now and then, I am weak when he is strong so I lean hard on God. But it’s refreshing and hard to hear, which I knew just a reality check, that my whole being is longing for more. But I and we were not meant for this place, so.of course I am striving for more or feel a sense of constant disappointment. But how do I lean in harder, how do I make that diminish just enough to feel okay? I’m struggling ladies, so prayer for my mind and spirit to align.

  2. Danielle Patrick says:

    6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. – Romans 8:6 I love this verse because it defines TRUE DEATH and TRUE LIFE! A worldly view of life and death is defined by what happens to our bodies, but where our focus goes is what defines the life and death of our spirit ♥️

  3. Lindsay Hayes says:

    What peace He gives. What joy we have in knowing that through Him we have life after death. We are undeserving. Thank you, God.

  4. Lizzy BryantMoreno says:

    ❤️

  5. Brandy Deruso says:

    Lord we thank you

  6. Jennifer Lumley says:

    ❤️

  7. Ange Frank says:

    ❤️

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