I'm Thankful God Provides That Grace That NEVER Lets Me Live Like the Rest of the World
I find it to be wonderfully assuring that God will never let any Christian live like the rest of the world. Hebrews 12:5-7 says, "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the LORD, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: For whom the LORD loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?"
I always worried about what if I fall into sin or what if I fall away. The blessed assurance is that if when a person is truly saved, God will always find a way to get the person back on track. Do you remember the analogy of the vine and the branches? John 15:1-11 shows the truth that while useless branches are thrown in the fire but fruit bearing branches are pruned. The word pruning means to start making some improvements so there will be more fruit. Matthew 7:11-120 says that every good tree bears good fruit. Christians are destined to bear good fruit but sometimes it's not enough. God wants to see more good fruit so He does everything He can to make Christians fruitful in their lives.
Part of my assurance is that God doesn't just chasten me but that He gives me the grace to do His will. Titus 2:11-14 says that God's grace teaches righteous living making its beneficiaries zealous unto good works. If I'm unteachable then God will make me teachable. If He delivered me from a life of sin then He gives me every provision to do His will. In short, I'm thankful that God is too holy and living to let me do what's bad for me, He delivered from the enslavement of sin and that He provides me the grace in my daily battle against sin.
Part of my assurance is that God doesn't just chasten me but that He gives me the grace to do His will. Titus 2:11-14 says that God's grace teaches righteous living making its beneficiaries zealous unto good works. If I'm unteachable then God will make me teachable. If He delivered me from a life of sin then He gives me every provision to do His will. In short, I'm thankful that God is too holy and living to let me do what's bad for me, He delivered from the enslavement of sin and that He provides me the grace in my daily battle against sin.