Theology Thursday
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
John 10:27-29
Before Easter we left something unfinished and I don’t like unfinished things. On Thursdays, we were working through TULIP, an acronym developed during the Reformation (1500’s) to describe what the Bible says about salvation.
T - Total Depravity
U - Unconditional Election
L - Limited Atonement
I - Irresistible Grace
P - Perseverance of the Saints
Today we finally finish off this series with the perseverance of the saints.
As a 20 year old, I thought that on any given day you could fall out of salvation. I didn’t exactly know where the bar was but I thought that faith was like an energy gauge in a computer game. Sin too much and the gauge goes below the bar and your salvation is at risk. Pray, do good and up the faith goes and you are back in.
This sounds a bit weird but I reckon a lot of people think this way. The Bible, however, paints a very different picture.
As we have already seen in the TULIP acronym. We are totally depraved because of sin and would never seek for God outside of His divine intervention. But because of His unconditional mercy, before the foundation of the world He elected people to be saved through the atoning death of His Son Jesus Christ through faith. This faith comes through the irresistible work of the Holy Spirit who gives us the gift of faith through regenerating our dead hearts - making them alive.
But what happens next?
Well, on a human speaking level, the usual ups and downs, a mixture of sin and faithful obedience with growth in one and decline in the other. But in a bigger picture sense. God’s promise is that He will ensure that those who He has saved, He will see through to the end.
As Paul says, he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). This is how God ensures that there will be a people forever in the Kingdom of His Son.
This too is a part of faith. We can trust in Jesus that if we trust in Him, no one can separate us from the love of God, no one or thing can snatch us out of His hands. Instead of fear of falling we are instead given freedom that allows us to follow Him faithfully.
So don’t spend time anxiously worrying about falling away. Even as we make our calling and election sure by dedicating ourselves to obedience and faithful living in joyful and loving response to the one who has saved us and keeps us to the end.
For Today:
Pray: Praise the Father who holds us safely in His hands. Give thanks for Jesus who rescues us from our sins and keeps us in His sheepfold. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others keep trusting in Jesus and following Him faithfully.
John 10:27-29
Before Easter we left something unfinished and I don’t like unfinished things. On Thursdays, we were working through TULIP, an acronym developed during the Reformation (1500’s) to describe what the Bible says about salvation.
T - Total Depravity
U - Unconditional Election
L - Limited Atonement
I - Irresistible Grace
P - Perseverance of the Saints
Today we finally finish off this series with the perseverance of the saints.
As a 20 year old, I thought that on any given day you could fall out of salvation. I didn’t exactly know where the bar was but I thought that faith was like an energy gauge in a computer game. Sin too much and the gauge goes below the bar and your salvation is at risk. Pray, do good and up the faith goes and you are back in.
This sounds a bit weird but I reckon a lot of people think this way. The Bible, however, paints a very different picture.
As we have already seen in the TULIP acronym. We are totally depraved because of sin and would never seek for God outside of His divine intervention. But because of His unconditional mercy, before the foundation of the world He elected people to be saved through the atoning death of His Son Jesus Christ through faith. This faith comes through the irresistible work of the Holy Spirit who gives us the gift of faith through regenerating our dead hearts - making them alive.
But what happens next?
Well, on a human speaking level, the usual ups and downs, a mixture of sin and faithful obedience with growth in one and decline in the other. But in a bigger picture sense. God’s promise is that He will ensure that those who He has saved, He will see through to the end.
As Paul says, he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). This is how God ensures that there will be a people forever in the Kingdom of His Son.
This too is a part of faith. We can trust in Jesus that if we trust in Him, no one can separate us from the love of God, no one or thing can snatch us out of His hands. Instead of fear of falling we are instead given freedom that allows us to follow Him faithfully.
So don’t spend time anxiously worrying about falling away. Even as we make our calling and election sure by dedicating ourselves to obedience and faithful living in joyful and loving response to the one who has saved us and keeps us to the end.
For Today:
- Do you trust that Jesus will complete in you what He started?
- Consider - how have you seen Him already at work in this way?
- How could you respond today to God’s kindness toward you?
Pray: Praise the Father who holds us safely in His hands. Give thanks for Jesus who rescues us from our sins and keeps us in His sheepfold. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others keep trusting in Jesus and following Him faithfully.
Posted in Wisdom Wednesday
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