God's Unlimited Support Vs. Cheap Grace
A load bearing wall.
2 Tim.1-2:2-3-4-5, Paul wrote to Timothy,
"All things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship,) as a GOOD SOLDIER of Jesus Christ.
No man that wareth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive LAWFULLY."
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and not in your own understanding. In this the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places smooth.
A little boy and girl were in the car with their father. The father drove out to a desolate place, motioned to the children to get out and drove away. The father had abandoned his children, forsaking them totally. These children needed their father for support, instead he deserted them.
We know every child needs a father, its all about love and support. We all need and desire these things in our lives. Support is one of the qualities of a close knit family, a good business relationship and friendships. We seek support in our homes and in our personal affairs. We are no different than the children who needed their father.
I heard a story that you may enjoy.
There was this young girl called Kerry who had contracted a rare disease. Doctors told her parents that there was no know cure unless they could find someone that had the anti-bodies she needed to live. With a transfusion Kerry had a good chance to survive.
It was found that Kerry's little brother had the anti-bodies needed. The parents spoke with their son telling him that his sister was very sick and needed his help. The little boy asked, "What can I do for her?"
They explained that Kerry needed his blood in order to get well. The little boy quickly replied, "If it will save my sister's life I will give her my blood." At this moment no parent would have been more proud of their child.
The parents immediately called the hospital and made arrangements for the procedure to take place. The day of the transfusion, Kerry and her little brother were prepared.
Kerry was lying down on a table with her brother alongside. The little boy spoke to his sister, "The doctor said your going to get well soon, I am giving you my blood." As the blood began to flow from the boys arm to his sisters, almost immediately her cheeks began to show a rosy color. It was apparent the transfusion was going to be a success.
The boy turned to the doctor and said to him, "Can I ask you something," The doctor said, "of course you can." The boy asked, "How long will it be before I die?" This young boy by his own understanding thought he had to give ALL his blood in order to save his sister. Yet without hesitation he said he would. His support for his sister was without limits although he was without proper understanding.
This is what Christ did for us. He gave His life in order that we may live. Total unlimited support, He having full knowledge of His death, burial, and resurrection, yet without hesitation agreed to come to us.
In every home, every building their are support walls; remove one, and the structure collapses. This same result occurs when we begin to cheat on God's rules. Its as if we knocked down the main support wall in our lives.
When this takes place, our lives go into a tailspin. This result takes place when Christians rely on their own understanding and not the understanding of God.
There are times when we attempt to use a veto power respecting God's rules. Veto this, negate that, add this, subtract that. In this we make our own rules, we become our own gods, depending on our own understanding.
Paul said to Timothy, be a good soldier. Commit yourself to my word and my work. Don't become entangled again in the affairs of this world. Yet after we read these words, we plan for our next round of golf, check in to see if our stocks are going up, or begin planning a trip to Disney land.
We move from the path blazed out by Christ, turn and go another way. We give way to the lusts of the flesh, begin living in error, becoming servants of corruption, become shackled to bondage and entangled in the concerns and things of this world.
Matt.11:29-30, Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." We read these verses, we pray, yet we cheat on God's rules.
Cheaters don't go by God's rules, they go by their own rules. There are rules for living, and rules for dying. "Enter into my rest." A rest unto life eternal.
Because the Bible is in so many instances misquoted or misunderstood, the truths of Scriptures become vague or are lost altogether. Wrong interpretation, misunderstood doctrines, this resulting from men turning to their own understanding. The results can be catastrophic.
Matt.7:21-22-23, Jesus said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in they name have cast out devils? and in they name done many wonderful works? Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye workers of iniquity."
Jesus is our great support wall.
Man's understanding is in most cases unfruitful, yet they refuse to seek out the support of God. So what are God's rules?
1. Confess our sins.
2. Seek after God's grace.
3. Do the Lord's work.
Religious people agree that Jesus is God, is Lord, is Saviour.
Yet, Jesus is not THEIR personal God, Lord, or Saviour. Why? They rely on their own unfruitful understanding, establishing their own rules for salvation. They become as gods, believing they have become like God, knowing good from evil, this in their fleshly insights and perceptions.
Yet they desire God's forgiveness without repentance, His grace without conversion and communion without confession.
God's rules have not changed. He said that our conduct must be becoming of a Christian. We are to remain steadfast in the Spirit and be of one mind with Jesus Christ. "One mind," yet many have severed themselves from, and become servants of their own lusts and corruption.
John 6:53 thru 60, Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. --- This is the bread which came down from heaven."
These things said He in the synagogue, -- Many of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard (difficult) saying." And many walk away.
Cheap grace is grace without conversion. The world is filled with cheap grace. Jesus said, "trust in me," not yourself, your friends, family, or church.
Jesus is our load bearer, He gave life, He takes life. People do not love God, He loves us. We must walk away from our old management, and come to the new. Confess to the Lord, dedicate yourself a good soldier and become a servant having one master, who has established one set of rules.
Thank you,
Phil LaSpino