If you were to die within the next five minutes, would you go to heaven? If you’re sure you would, could you prove it to someone who inquired? If you’re skeptical of your salvation, could you prove it to someone who inquired? FYI: I’m inquiring. Over the course of the last seven weeks, Joel and I have been discussing the subject of eternal security. Joel’s lesson last week was on hope. What hope do you display to those around you in regard to your eternal security? There are folks all through the world of Christendom proclaiming salvation through the blood of the Lamb, but sadly, many of those who claim to have errant-free biblical knowledge struggle to make such an “audacious” claim. Many will say, “I can’t know for sure.” There are some who will go so far as to say, “Well, I really can’t know whether I’m saved or not until I die.” That’s too late, Christian!! You need to know NOW! If you’re expecting me to give you a five-finger exercise or magic formula to receive salvation, you’re mistaken. Am I saying baptism isn’t essential? Not at all! But if you’re basing your salvation on getting wet and punching your attendance card once a week you haven’t the slightest idea of how faith works through God’s amazing grace. Faith is like buying a new car. It smells good, looks good and the seats are really comfortable. But if I fail to add fuel to the gas tank, I’m not going to get very far. I have to actively seek the Lord! Sometimes are relationship to God mirrors the old Irishman who was asked by his wife, “Patrick, don’t you still love me?” To which he replied, “Darlin, I told you I loved you on our weddin day. If I ever change me mind I’ll let ya know!” That’s not going to cut it with our spouse and it certainly won’t cut it with our Creator! He longs to hear your voice and He so graciously provides us His Words, His love, His grace, His mercy, His truth, His blessings, His creation, His air, His provisions and most importantly, His Son. Can we not fall in love with Him more and more every day?
Have a blessed day and remember the One who gave it to you! Kevin One of the greatest misunderstandings of salvation stems from believing we have to understand everything there is to know about sins against God. Through misguided teaching of times past, false perceptions, or erratic misconceptions of God’s grace, we may have fallen prey to mechanically trying to line every single domino up so as to systematically knock down every conceivable doubt of theological connection with Christ. We could place ourselves in a locked, padded room for weeks upon end with no television, no books, and no literature of any kind, no visual stimulation whatsoever and still be guilty of sinning and falling short of God’s glory on a daily basis. It’s our nature! Because God’s ways are so much higher than our own, it would be preposterous to think we could completely know all there is to know about the mind of God. I cannot fully appreciate God’s righteousness simply because he and I aren’t on the same page, intellectually speaking. And, yet, because of His infinite wisdom He can absolutely acknowledge my sinfulness because He made me!
I may find this truth un-nerving, but I can never question its veracity. It is what it is. If I believed that I needed to acknowledge every single sin I committed on a daily basis, I’d never get anything done! I’d be sitting in a chair around the clock making a list of all the things that were keeping me from enjoying all of God’s blessings, including the sin of unprofitable, blatant idleness! That doesn’t sound like grace-filled living to me. It sounds like solitary confinement. Are you going through life keeping a list of all the things that separate you from God? If so, make sure you add “needless mind-numbing pursuits” to your memo book. That ranks right up there with work-oriented grace. Have a blessed day and remember the One who gave it to you! Kevin I’m sure you’ve encountered them. They always have something to say. They make sure their mountains are just a little harder to scale; a little more difficult to climb. The apostle Paul encountered more than his fair share of beleaguered boasters; so much so that he satirically lays out an entire laundry list of things he could ‘boast’ about. A Hebrew of Hebrew’s. An ideal Israelite. An offspring of Abraham. A servant of the Savior. Numerous imprisonments, countless beatings, near death experiences, stoned, shipwrecked, beaten with rods, adrift at sea, robbed, accused of wrongdoing, hungry, thirsty, often without food, un-relinquishing exposure to the elements...
Paul could have easily threw in the towel and said, “You know what? I’ve had it! I’m tired of dealing with all the naysayers, all the whiners, and all the bellyachers. I need a break!” Interestingly enough, God reminds Paul, “I gave you your break the day I saved you.” To take it a step further, Paul says, “To keep me from becoming CONCEITED [about all the difficulties plaguing me] God went so far as to allow Satan to inflict me with a thorn in the flesh to HARASS me which kept me from becoming too conceited.” (2 Cor. 12: 7f). Wouldn’t you think God would take it easy on poor, ole’ Paul for all he had been through for the advancement of the gospel? After all, how much hardship can someone endure anyway? Listen to how Paul concludes his thoughts in verse 10 of that 12th chapter: “FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I AM WEAK, THEN I AM STRONG.” Paul learned something each of us need to learn: We need to be far more dependent on God’s strength than He needs to be on ours! Have a blessed day and remember the One who gave it to you! Kevin |
Kevin's KolumnKevin Lough is the minister at the Whitehall Church of Christ in Fairmont WV. Archives
September 2019
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