God's grace is truly amazing. I could not live a single day without His free gift of grace. Today, I watched my daughter go through a church ceremony in which she declared her faith in God and that she would always trust in Jesus. She is old enough now to make her own decisions, not a small child anymore. She took a class that taught her the foundational principles of Christianity and then she was charged with making a decision about what she truly believes. Although we have raised our children to believe in God, trust in the sacrifice of Jesus, and hold true to the Christian faith...we know that they are human beings--each is a true individual, capable of making decisions for their own lives. Until they are grown, we give them knowledge and present the world to them, both good and bad. As they grow, their minds develop and they wrestle with the factual nature of these "truths" we have taught them. They must decide, despite what we have told them or shown them.
Every person is an individual human being. We were given free will--by God--the very Father who wants us to know Him and follow Him all the days of our lives. He, too, gives us knowledge and revelation about the world around us. He shows Himself to us in many ways throughout our lives, showing us the way He wants us to live, what He wants us to believe. He gives each of us many opportunities to know, but also to challenge, these beliefs. He does not throw us away or forsake us for asking questions about Him. He wants us to both seek and find Him in a way that is unique, personal and intimate. My walk with God is not exactly like anyone else. He carves out a special path, a special way for me to know Him intimately.
Today, I sat and watched as many young people declared faith in God and promised to follow Him all the days of their lives. They declared the unrighteousness of sin in their lives. They acknowledged Jesus as the gap between their sinful past and a glorious future of peace with God, rest, and eternal life. Some of these young people decided to get baptized, just as Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River in days of old.
As I gazed upon these young, fresh faces...I admired the uniqueness of each person. Each face was different, some younger and some older. They represented different age groups, social backgrounds, family circumstances...and different paths to God. How did they each come to this place of making such a bold declaration of faith in a God that we cannot see? With all of life set before them, how can they make such a decision?
If the answer was solely based on their ability to finish the race in their own strength, just the very thought of them deciding to live a life following the teachings of God would be ludicrous. People inherently lack the strength to complete such a surmounting task. If they are required to live out perfection and be "holy" as many think of holiness (in their own abilities), would they ever succeed? It seems they are making a promise they cannot keep. How do they know what life holds ahead of these young and tender days of youth? Will their spouses abandon them? Will they become addicted to thing that are hell-bent to kill them? Will they lose children to premature death? Will they lose jobs, friends, family members or suffer from poverty? How do they know they can make such a promise to God?
Simple...God is the first one to make a promise TO THEM. He promises He will supply their every need, heal their hearts and bodies, walk with them through every trial, and NEVER leave them or forsake them. He promises to make a way where there seems to be no way. He promises to protect them, shield them, guide them...but even more, He promises to forgive them, sanctify them, give them peace, work all things together for their good, help them grow to be more like Jesus (taking on His very nature), and He promises to use them for great things.
Perhaps, they will heal the sick, give sight to the blind, overcome insurmountable obstacles, share the gospel of peace with the world, raise families, promote healthy marriages, show the world supernatural forgiveness, and shine a bright light of God's love and grace to the world. These things will not happen because they never make a mistake. They will not happen because they exude perfection in every way. These things will happen in the midst of great trials, suffering, shortcoming, failure, torment and affliction. It is what they do, and who they are, in this lost and dying world that will bring God the greatest of glory. It will show the world that when God made a promise to love the world through sending His only Son (Jesus) into the world to die for us, He will ALWAYS keep His promises. He is faithful when we are faithless. We were given grace before we ever knew what grace is...
How can these young people make such life-changing decisions? It's simple...through their study of God's Word and coming to know His nature, they have found Him to be faithful to keep His promises...even when they are not faithful to keep their promises to Him. That is the essence of GRACE. Unmerited favor from God. Unconditional love from a Father who works tirelessly to bring you through the troubles of this world. If we trust in grace, and not in our works (for salvation), He will never fail us. If we trust in ourselves, we have failed already.
God will show us each the way to work out salvation with fear and trembling. Fear in the Bible is often a word used to describe "reverence or awe". Yes, when I think of the glory of God in my life, the power of God to save me, but also to keep me...I do tremble. I know that I am unworthy, but my salvation does not rest in my own worthiness. The only thing that matters in God's eyes is the worthiness of the One who came before me...Jesus.
Jonah 4:2 (NASB)
He prayed to the LORD and said, "Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.
Psalm 103:8-9 (NASB)
8The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 9He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.
Deuteronomy 4:30-31 (NASB)
…30"When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice. 31"For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.
Every person is an individual human being. We were given free will--by God--the very Father who wants us to know Him and follow Him all the days of our lives. He, too, gives us knowledge and revelation about the world around us. He shows Himself to us in many ways throughout our lives, showing us the way He wants us to live, what He wants us to believe. He gives each of us many opportunities to know, but also to challenge, these beliefs. He does not throw us away or forsake us for asking questions about Him. He wants us to both seek and find Him in a way that is unique, personal and intimate. My walk with God is not exactly like anyone else. He carves out a special path, a special way for me to know Him intimately.
Today, I sat and watched as many young people declared faith in God and promised to follow Him all the days of their lives. They declared the unrighteousness of sin in their lives. They acknowledged Jesus as the gap between their sinful past and a glorious future of peace with God, rest, and eternal life. Some of these young people decided to get baptized, just as Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River in days of old.
As I gazed upon these young, fresh faces...I admired the uniqueness of each person. Each face was different, some younger and some older. They represented different age groups, social backgrounds, family circumstances...and different paths to God. How did they each come to this place of making such a bold declaration of faith in a God that we cannot see? With all of life set before them, how can they make such a decision?
If the answer was solely based on their ability to finish the race in their own strength, just the very thought of them deciding to live a life following the teachings of God would be ludicrous. People inherently lack the strength to complete such a surmounting task. If they are required to live out perfection and be "holy" as many think of holiness (in their own abilities), would they ever succeed? It seems they are making a promise they cannot keep. How do they know what life holds ahead of these young and tender days of youth? Will their spouses abandon them? Will they become addicted to thing that are hell-bent to kill them? Will they lose children to premature death? Will they lose jobs, friends, family members or suffer from poverty? How do they know they can make such a promise to God?
Simple...God is the first one to make a promise TO THEM. He promises He will supply their every need, heal their hearts and bodies, walk with them through every trial, and NEVER leave them or forsake them. He promises to make a way where there seems to be no way. He promises to protect them, shield them, guide them...but even more, He promises to forgive them, sanctify them, give them peace, work all things together for their good, help them grow to be more like Jesus (taking on His very nature), and He promises to use them for great things.
Perhaps, they will heal the sick, give sight to the blind, overcome insurmountable obstacles, share the gospel of peace with the world, raise families, promote healthy marriages, show the world supernatural forgiveness, and shine a bright light of God's love and grace to the world. These things will not happen because they never make a mistake. They will not happen because they exude perfection in every way. These things will happen in the midst of great trials, suffering, shortcoming, failure, torment and affliction. It is what they do, and who they are, in this lost and dying world that will bring God the greatest of glory. It will show the world that when God made a promise to love the world through sending His only Son (Jesus) into the world to die for us, He will ALWAYS keep His promises. He is faithful when we are faithless. We were given grace before we ever knew what grace is...
How can these young people make such life-changing decisions? It's simple...through their study of God's Word and coming to know His nature, they have found Him to be faithful to keep His promises...even when they are not faithful to keep their promises to Him. That is the essence of GRACE. Unmerited favor from God. Unconditional love from a Father who works tirelessly to bring you through the troubles of this world. If we trust in grace, and not in our works (for salvation), He will never fail us. If we trust in ourselves, we have failed already.
God will show us each the way to work out salvation with fear and trembling. Fear in the Bible is often a word used to describe "reverence or awe". Yes, when I think of the glory of God in my life, the power of God to save me, but also to keep me...I do tremble. I know that I am unworthy, but my salvation does not rest in my own worthiness. The only thing that matters in God's eyes is the worthiness of the One who came before me...Jesus.
Jonah 4:2 (NASB)
He prayed to the LORD and said, "Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.
Psalm 103:8-9 (NASB)
8The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 9He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.
Deuteronomy 4:30-31 (NASB)
…30"When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice. 31"For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.
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