Tuesday, December 19, 2006
 

[Zechariah prophesied concerning John,] "You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God."

Luke 1:76-78, New International Version

    Where does salvation come from? Does it come from our sense that something is desperately wrong and we need to change and make it better? Does it come from casting things in a more positive light so we don't become discouraged and quit? Does it come from a lucky break? Does it come because we are scrupulously righteous and deserve for it to come our way? Does it come from rigorously obeying everything in the law? No! Salvation and forgiveness come from one source -- "the tender mercy of our God."