Today's devotional is written by Pastor Roy Summers
Not that Kind of Irresistible
Do you ever feel so weak that you wonder whether you will 'make it to the tape?' Well this devotional is for you. Salvation, we shall learn, is from the Lord, from the first to the last.
In our series of salvation devotionals I felt stuck at the letter "I" until I remembered reading about some discussions that took place between Christians, way back hundreds of years ago.
Some Christians believed back then - and some still believe this today - that if God began a work in our hearts and called us to himself, we would be able to resist his call, decide not to be born again, and not to become a follower of Jesus Christ.
Now, if that was true, it means that salvation would be in human hands. It is we who'd decide whether or not to follow Jesus.
And if we can call the shots right at the beginning of our Christian walk, what could stop us calling the shots all the way to the very end? Salvation would be in our hands and one day we might decide to walk out, the next day to walk back, and perhaps yo-yo like that all our lives.
And suppose we went through a really tough patch as a Christian and decided not to follow Jesus for a while in that state, and suppose that we died in that condition. Where would that leave us? Surely we would be lost.
This 'salvation is in our hands' idea could never give us the deep assurance we need when we are tempest-tossed by the storms of mind, heart and life.
But even more importantly, is this idea correct according to the Bible? Is salvation really in our hands?
Those who hold this view are called Arminians after one of the fellows who promoted it, a man by the name of Jacobus Arminius.
Salvation is 'of the Lord'
Other Christians hotly disputed Mr Arminius. They said that the Scriptures are very clear, "Salvation is of the Lord". (Jonah 2:9) They said that from first to last Salvation is something God does. He took the initiative in the history of the world when he sent his precious Son to suffer and die for our sins, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He did not wait for mankind to ask for salvation.
God takes the initiative in each believer's life too.
For example, they quoted Ephesians 2:1-5 where Paul reminds us that we were all dead in our "transgressions and sins... we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved."
All of us were completely dead spiritually, unable to respond to God, so if God waited around for us to respond to him, it would never happen. God had to take the initiative and while we were still in our sinful state he made us alive. Praise God!
And how his work began in our lives is how it continues. We are always too weak, too foolish, too sinful to keep going through all the ups and downs of life. We'd never make it to the tape if we were running on our own steam.
But, praise God, he who began a good work in us will himself carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)
So from start to finish, Salvation is of the Lord according to the Scriptures.
And this brings us great comfort - especially when we are weak and troubled and tempted and tried and feel "I'll never make it."
Irresistible Grace
These Christians of old, called Calvinists after John Calvin, came up with the phrase 'Irresistible Grace' to explain their conviction that when God calls someone to himself, when the Good Shepherd calls his sheep, they always come, they can't help it, they can't prevent it: they don't want to. God's grace is irresistible, no-one can turn away, all whom God the Father calls will come to him.
And then for the rest of their lives they are kept by God's mighty power. Their spiritual destiny is never in their own hands, it is always in God's almighty hands.
This view is surely the right one, the Biblical one, and it brings to us great great comfort.
Summing it all up
There are times, for some believers many times, when we feel as though we're not going to make it.
Some tragedy befalls us and overwhelms us and we feel that our faith will fail. Some temptation waylays us. Some illness swamps our ship, some storm threatens to drown us.
In those moments, days, weeks or seasons of life, we can rest assured that how we feel and how strong we are is not what counts. What matters is the omnipotent power of God Almighty who having called us by his grace, having paid the debt for all our sins, has promised to keep us forever.
It's not our song for the day, but 'In Christ Alone' could be, for it expresses the conviction that salvation is all of God.
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
A SONG FOR THE DAY
Our song for the day is "He will hold me fast" by the Getty duo.
When I fear my faith will fail
Christ will hold me fast
When the tempter would prevail
He will hold me fast
I could never keep my hold
Through life’s fearful path
For my love is often cold
He must hold me fast
He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fast
Those He saves are His delight
Christ will hold me fast
Precious in His holy sight
He will hold me fast
He’ll not let my soul be lost
His promises shall last
Bought by Him at such a cost
He will hold me fast
For my life He bled and died
Christ will hold me fast
Justice has been satisfied
He will hold me fast
Raised with Him to endless life
He will hold me fast
Till our faith is turned to sight
When he comes at last
You can listen HERE.
A PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Our loving Father in heaven,
We thank you that all whom you give to our Good Shepherd are safe and no-one can snatch them out of your hands.
We thank you that there is nothing in this world, seen or unseen, that can separate us from God's love.
We thank you that salvation, past, present and future is out of our feeble hands, and in your all powerful hands.
Comfort us with this thought as we pass through the trials of life.
And work in the hearts of those who do not know you, and draw them irresistibly to yourself, by your power.
For we we ask these things in Jesus Name,
Amen
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