Devotion Column: Erasmus Makarimayi
THE grace of God has brought us to adoption as sons and daughters. We are not servants but we belong to the inner circle of liberty. Believers are not a community of miserable and helpless people. Salvation came at the price of the blood of Jesus, an investment whose dividends Christians have to know and fully partake of. Salvation means that we are saved from sin and its effects. We are redeemed, free from death. The joy of salvation permeates through us and we are not sullen and dejected. We rejoice and rejoice according to the persuasion of the new covenant.
Sometimes believers fail to express themselves joyfully fearing that God may withdraw His mercy. Naïve believers are lied to by the devil and fear instilled in them to the point that they end up in false humility, which is pride in itself. You’re bought with a price not to lose you, but keep you. Trust the Lord for your salvation, you’re safe in His hands. We’re not outcasts roaming the earth scavenging but rather we have an inheritance among the sanctified.
We don’t live as if we’re on probation. We’re certain of God’s sure salvation. In John 6:37, Jesus assures us: “All that the Father giveth me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” God gave us to Christ and we have come to Him and He will not cast us out. The comforting and assuring thing about this is that no limit is set to the duration of this promise. The moment you get into Christ, He makes sure you are not cast out from that moment onwards and forever. In the original manuscripts it reads, “I will not, not cast out,” or “I will never, never cast out”. This means that Christ will not at first reject a believer; and that as He will not do it at first, so He will not to the last.
One major concern for believers is fear of sinning. There are people, who are so pessimistic, that even if everything is pointing to success they see themselves failing. When negativity floods your mind, please dare think positive. Reconsider to ask yourself: “In case I win instead of in case I lose?” I always emphasise and repeat that victorious Christians are Christ conscious not sin conscious.
You’re the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. 1 John 2:1-2 teaches: “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” Jesus took care of our sins and His blood always speaks mercy not vengeance.
Don’t crowd yourself with fear of backsliding. Please confess Hebrews 10:39, “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” The devil will always threaten you that you are not thinking soberly when you assert your salvation. When he does that retort and tell him to be sober instead and get behind you.
Here’s the advance cure for backsliding. Hosea 14:4 declares, “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.” God loves you, His anger is turned away from you in Christ Jesus. It’s not our effort, good deeds or works but the finished work of Christ. Always embrace Him, He never leaves you nor forsakes you.
Please never allow Satan to steal your joy. When temptations are thrown at you, you won’t succumb. 1 Corinthians 10:13 assures you: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
Your confidence is that once in Christ, always in Christ. He will not cast you out. Don’t live in fear but live in hope and confidence. Romans 8:15 encourages: “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” No fear but security as a child.
You’re eternally in Christ. John 10:28-29 assures, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” You have eternal life. Moreover you shall not perish and you cannot be pulled out of God’s hands. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through knowledge.
All Bible quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.
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