Loved!

 

These are some of my thoughts and concerns I have considered, and we will spend some time over the next weeks unpacking this…

Loved, Chosen, and Accountable: Walking in Grace and Truth

God hates sin. Not on a whim. Not to assert power. But because sin destroys. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Sin blinds, hardens, and separates. “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing” (Habakkuk 1:13). His hatred of sin is love refusing to let His children walk into ruin.

And yet, even while we were sinners, God’s love was real. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). His love is not a reward for good behaviour; it flows from His nature. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16).

God’s election reminds us that salvation is His gift from beginning to end. “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:4-5). Election is not an excuse for sin; it is a foundation for grace.

At the same time, we are called to responsibility. “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out” (Acts 3:19). “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15). God’s sovereignty does not remove human response — election and responsibility work together.

Grace is powerful, but it is never a licence to sin. Paul asked, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1-2). True grace transforms and teaches: “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:11-12).

God also disciplines those He loves. “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son” (Hebrews 12:6). Discipline is not punishment but proof of adoption, the hand of a Father guiding His children away from destruction. “If you are not disciplined… then you are not legitimate, not true sons” (Hebrews 12:8). If there is no conviction, no wrestling with sin, no hunger for holiness, Scripture warns us to examine our spiritual standing.

The gospel is at once sovereign and demanding. It calls us to see clearly:

• God hates sin because it destroys.

• God loves sinners, even in their rebellion.

• God elects, and His choice secures salvation.

• Humans are responsible — to hear, repent, believe, and obey.

• Grace transforms and empowers, never excuses.

• Discipline proves adoption, restores, and warns.

• Absence of discipline signals a need for self-examination.

Love invites.
Repentance responds.
Grace empowers.
Discipline corrects.

This is the full gospel: not cheap, not easy, but true. Chosen, redeemed, empowered, and accountable — fully under the care of a Father whose heart beats for His children and refuses to let them perish.

 

Signing off

 

Tyrone