You know, something has been striking me recently as sort of surprising, and really disturbing. There are so many people who claimed they are saved by grace, but then they go on living, as if they were saved by works. We see this same problem in Galatians, and for some reason we think we are far from it (Gal. 3:1-5, 11).
So here’s a practical example. If you sin a ton during one day, you lie, treat someone poorly, go home and look at porn, hide that from everyone, don’t pray or read your Bible for a few days, etc., then you probably feel like you are as far from God as possible, you and God aren’t doing too well (because of your works). However, if you tithe, love your neighbor, read and pray for 2 hours a day, walk someone’s dog to be missional, fast (whoa) etc., then all of a sudden you a being a great Christian, and you and God are doing well (based on your works). Now, is this true? You may be tempted to say yes, and of course, I will say, if you are walking in the Spirit you are a lot more likely to do the latter things mentioned than the former. But really? You think that your relationship with God is based on the things that you do? Read Galatians 3, and you will see this is a foolish thought.
Listen, you were saved by grace, through faith, and guess what, right now, you are being kept by God by grace through faith, not of your own works. Your works are generally going to pull you away from God. Matt Chandler says that the way you can tell an immature believer from a mature one, is that when the immature one sins, he runs away from God, and thinks he is further, or worse than before, but when a mature one sins, he runs to God, who he knows is the author and perfector of his faith, it is not based off of his own works or merit.
This couldn’t be more true. Let’s take Adam, he foolishly sinned, and what was the first thing that he did? He ran away from God, went and tried to cover the mess up himself, and hid (Gen 3:7-8). Now, this shows that he didn’t understand who God really was. He thought that God was going to smash him, instead look at God’s response. He immediately calls Adam back to Himself (Gen 3:9), because He knows that Adam is safest by Him, and that He can love and protect completely. Then He made a better covering for Adam (Gen 3:21), showing His forgiveness. Notice what this covering was, animal skin, how did He get this? Through sacrifice? Atoning for Adam’s sin? Then He blocked the garden and didn’t allow Adam in (Gen. 3:22-24). Now you might say, how is that good? Because God knew if he ate from the tree of life, he would live forever in his sin, and God didn’t want that, he wanted him to be able to die, and be risen again as a new man through the cleansing of Christ for his sins, which is why he predicted Christ’s coming right away (Gen 3:15). Later, when we are perfect, we get to eat from the tree of life again, and live forever in perfection (Rev. 2:7). God was the earth’s first missionary, coming into this earth, and drawing men to Himself for forgiveness and repentance.
Now, did God discipline this sin? Yes, of course as He will always, but even this is a sign of deep love and affection (Heb. 12:7-11). But to punish us, to shun us, to push us away from Him? Foolishness, and a direct trick from Satan this is! Listen, God wants a RELATIONSHIP with us!!! This means we run to Him for everything. Blessings, we worship Him (1Pet. 1:3-5); mistakes, we cling to the Cross (Eph. 2:1-9); good things we do, we honor Him who gave us the ability (Eph. 2:10, 1 Co. 12:4-7); shortcomings, we plead with His help through prayer (Eph 3:20)… run to your Savior and Deliverer who is able to deliver you from all sins! Stop running away from the throne room of grace, but run towards it (Heb 4:16).
Stop thinking that you are saved, or rather should I say sanctified, by the good works that you do, know that it is Christ who redeems you (nothing you did), sanctifies you (nothing you can do), and will eventually glorify you and present you as a pure, and perfect vessel (nothing you will even do) (Eph. 5:27). THERE IS NOTHING THAT YOU CAN DO THAT WILL MAKE GOD LOVE YOU ANY MORE, OR ANY LESS, tell yourself that! If you have accepted Christ as the substitute for you on that Cross, and have believed in Him for the forgiveness of your sins, you are clean, and that is the end of it. Now we just try to love God and know Him more (Jn. 17:3), and make Him known to others (Matt. 28:19-20).Take freedom in knowing that we can run to Christ every second of our lives, and He is faithful and just to cleanse us from our unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). We cannot save ourselves with our good works, we never have been able too, and we never will be able too, remember that. You are beautiful to God, stop running away when you sin, run towards Him, and let Him love on you with His perfect, unfailing love.
Toriano Mayo