Encouragement
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
A few weeks ago, I was watching one of those reality shows on television. One of the contestants earned immunity. This meant if his team was to lose the next week the host could not remove him from the show.
Well, as it happened, his team lost the next week, due in part to this man's laziness. Because he had immunity, he did not work hard or contribute anything positive to the team.
His teammates were not happy with him and formed a plan to ask the host to remove him from the show. Based on his performance that week, they felt he had not lived up to the spirit of immunity.
After considering their proposition, the host refused to yank the player's immunity. While he performed poorly, he knew he could not break his word or change the rules for one player. So, instead of firing the payer with immunity, he fired the team leader for brining up such an idea.
If an earthly host became upset when players asked him to change his rules based on one person's conduct, what must God think when we question His grace and state that we can do something to lose it?
John 3:16 is clear. It says that those who believe in Christ shall not perish, but have everlasting life. That is God's promise to us. God cannot lie. Now, we may not like how some of us act, but God gave us His immunity based on His rules, not ours. And to tell people they can lose His grace, based on their individual conduct must upset Him, because it goes to the very core of His being. It questions His integrity.
May I ask you this question? Did God give us grace because we were so good? No, He gave it to us because our righteousness was as filthy rags. When God reached out to us, through His Holy Spirit, we had nothing to bring to the table. Moreover, other than His Son, we have nothing to offer Him now. Knowing this, why do we question God's grace and believe it is up to us to keep it. Oh, you say, I do not believe that way. Unfortunately, you do if you believe you can lose your salvation. Because, if you think you can lose it, based on your actions, then you also have to believe you can keep it through your own efforts.
The Word tells us that God placed us in heaven, in Christ Jesus. Meaning, God placed our inward man in Christ. Nothing can touch our inward man, including sin. Our inward man remains secure and sinless in Christ. The Word also tells us that God placed us in Christ to show the immeasurable riches of His Grace. The key word is "immeasurable." It means "exceeding, incalculable, and beyond measure." It is impossible to measure God's grace. In other words, God's grace has no beginning, no end and no loophole to avoid. And when it appears that God could not give us any more grace, He lavishes it on us, not because we are so good, but because we have flaws that would condemn us without His abundance of grace.
Let us remember, It is God "who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim 1:10).
Jesus Christ, full of grace and truth, came and lived among us. Through His death and resurrection He gave Himself (our gift of grace) so we might have immortality and spend eternal life with Him.
After I received Christ, I remained addicted to a particular sin in my life. I could not break it. I tried to run from it, but like a stalking lover, it chased me. Like Paul, when I tried to do right, sin remained present and it slew me.
Only after years of struggling to get free, did I realize there was nothing I could do. One evening, while in a motel room, I decided death was the only way to experience peace in my battered mind. I looked around for a way to end my life. In my search, Jesus spoke to my heart. He said, "You do not have to die, because I died for you." That night I fell asleep a broken man, without any hope of finding the peace that I longed to have. However, God was not done with me. The next morning, I was free. I shutter to think what would have happened to me if God had withdrawn His grace. Thankfully, He did not.
For the first time, in years, I was without any accusations, evil thoughts, and condemnation that had previously worked to create a hurricane-like force that constantly ravaged my mind. For the first time my mind was calm. I was free and I knew it. He completed His work in me. That morning, all I could think on were thoughts of Him; good and pure thoughts.
No, the Word is clear. Nothing can separate us from God's love. God will not yank his grace, because He gave His Word. He cannot make an exception, even when we do not live up to the spirit of His immunity. For the word says it is Jesus, "who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy" (Jude 1:24 NIV).
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