LifeLink Devotional

Friday, October 2, 2020

I want to clarify something from yesterday’s devotional in case someone got the wrong idea that I believe we have to make ourselves worthy of being called a Christian. That was not the point. Yesterday’s devotional was about claiming to be something for which there is no evidence, with committed obedience being the evidence.

But just to be sure you understand where I stand, I firmly believe that salvation is by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ. Grace alone secures us forever as God’s children and joint heirs with Christ. I also believe that the church today has been weak in teaching the ongoing grace that brings us into the obedience of discipleship. I do nothing to get saved…it is by grace alone, but saving grace demands my participation in growing in grace. The evidence of growing in grace is obedience to the commands of God.

1 John 5:3  “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.”

Now, for today, I am struck deeply my three truths that come out of the conversation Jesus has with His disciples at the end of John chapter six.

John 6:67-71 “So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.”

Truth #1 – There is only one way to eternal life, and that is by believing that Jesus is God, and that made a holy sacrifice on the cross for our sin. This requires courageously resisting the consensus of people.

Truth #2 – As God, Jesus is sovereign in His choices, all of which conform to the eternal purpose of God to reveal His glory. Even choices that make no sense to us are a part of God’s redemptive purpose. This requires trust.

Truth #3 – It is possible to follow Jesus for all the wrong reasons and be lost for all eternity. Judas was committed, not because of faith in Jesus but rather to achieve personal benefit. This requires contemplation of our motives.

It would be wise for us today to consider all three of these truths. One of them probably applies to your life right now.

Pastor John