(Matthew 24:13) “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
Putting on and putting off or putting off and then putting on, which is doctrinally correct? I have arrived at my conclusion, but some imperatives need to be understood with regard to my findings, or rather the bible’s findings. The importance of the Holy Scriptures is to equip the believer with a correct understand of sound wholesome teachings aiding in conforming us into the image of Christ. It is there to teach us to walk obediently before the only true awesome God, our Heavenly Father. “Hallowed be His name”! Doctrine is there to equip us with biblical theory, helping the believer focus on their final goal, heaven. But if we get it wrong we tend to end up in some ditch somewhere. Thankfully it is the Lord Jesus who is working in and through us and even when we end up somewhere we shouldn’t, He continues to work with us.
But if we keep banging our heads against a wall, it eventually begins to hurt unbearably. It is only if and when we find ourselves falling to our knees and crying out to our God and King to come to our rescue that we are eventually set free, that is how it happens at salvation and so too must it continually happen in every area of our lives as we progress into Christianity. The necessity to rely solely on the grace of God is an authoritative and as soon as we take our eyes off this instruction trouble lurks on the horizon.
This I believe could be the biggest let down amongst believers of today, at least amongst those I come into contact with. I have been told by those who know me well, that as a young believer I had a tendency to rely on the grace of God as a license to habitually sin. And I will confess that there is much truth in that, my body is full of scars and my life full of serious consequences, but not serious enough to leave me in some ditch somewhere, praise the name of my great Saviour, the only true shepherd, He is willing to leave the ninety-nine in search of the wondering lost sheep. I have settled on my hero and His name is Jesus Christ the Lord.
Having said that these trying experiences are there as helps to teach us to depend on God’s instruction through His Word and to solely rely on His grace, and I do not mean as a license to continue in sin. God forbid we should settle there! This is not what the true definition of grace is. Grace speaks about favour from God, to be looked upon kindly. But we must understand our need to be looked upon favorably and this is where many Christians tend to lose focus, there is a predisposition to want to take back the reigns. At salvation we all understand this, it may not be immediate, but before long we realize the enormity of what it meant for Christ to die in our place. If not we haven’t understood the work of the cross.
When we look for practical applications in times past it is a good exercise to consider the Children of Israel as they journeyed through the Wilderness toward the Promised Land. There are many similarities between our lives and theirs and there is much we can learn from them. When we reach a crossroads in our lives how will we react? This is what I wish to highlight; God in and through the Lord Jesus is the only solution to all of life, let me explain; When the children of Israel fled Egypt and the Egyptians where bearing down on them they hit a snag, the Red Sea; What do we do in similar situations with difficulties or the combatting of sin in our lives, do we panic and take our eyes off the Lord Jesus or are we swift to run to Him? At salvation it is obvious we look to our God, we call upon the name of the Lord to forgive us for our sins through repentance and we are quickened in the spirit, our eyes are opened, and we are born again. But through the progression of time is this still our resolve? “And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." (Exodus 14:13-14) – Or does the trial of life become unbearable and we then rely on our own abilities to overcome? Think long and hard on what I am asking. Do we look to make a plan instead of remaining silent in that sense waiting for the Lord to deliver us? We can very often be subtly deceived; when we look to the imperatives in scripture, which is an essential for every believer and our lives. An example would be; “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” (Romans 12:1-3)
Get the order wrong and we are no more than a clanging cymbal without any musical tone to it. We end up trying to put off and then put on instead of relying on the source of grace, the Lord Jesus Christ our high priest whereby we may obtain mercy in time of need. We must first put on in order to put off. Put off we must if we are to make it to heaven! But our total dependency must be on the Lord and no other, from start to finish. Many of us lose sight of this simple truth! May God help us to understand!
“But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)
Jesus Christ the Lord, the all sufficient atoning sacrifice for all who believe in their hearts that God the Father has raised Him from the dead, after His cruel death by crucifixion and if we confess Him as Lord with our mouths, we are given emphatic instruction that we will be saved. This does not mean that if I use this formula like the soothsayer Getafix from the Asterix comic concocting some magic brew in order to gain strength to escape the enemy that I am safe. But what it does mean is if these words are dear to my soul and God has opened my eyes to their truth, I will be saved! If Christ is Lord in reality and I truly believe that God has raised Him from the dead, I am given a promise, I shall be saved! I must however continue as I began, my sole dependency my always be on the Lord Jesus and nothing else in every area of my life, yes every area of my life. I am not for one minute suggesting that I have arrived as I am still a work in progress as we all are.
God help us to keep this in the forefront of our minds at all times.
I will end with this encouragement; “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21)
Signing off
Tyrone
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