02/26/2019
How often have you disobeyed God, and had calamity fall upon you? When this occurred, what did you do? How did you realign yourself with God, and experience His forgiveness and salvation? What did you promise the Lord in prayer to gain his deliverance from your time of suffering?
“But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!" And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.”
Jonah 2:9-10 ESV
In the story of Jonah he learned two major lessons; he learned to be obedient and to do what God instructed him, and he learned that salvation belongs to God. When we have disobeyed God, and set ourselves against what He has asked us, His wrath will fall on us, and just as certainly as He punishes, only He can withdraw that punishment, and grant us salvation. In times like this when we are at odds with the Lord there is only one escape from our punishment... “To get right with God!”
“Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.”
Acts 13:38-39 ESV
The first thing we need to understand concerning forgiveness and salvation is that we can’t earn it for ourselves. Oh, we can stop doing the sin that brought on the predicament we find ourselves in, but only God can forgive, and that flows from His mercy and grace through Jesus. When we read of the life of Jesus we read about the accounts of healing, and there are certain steps associated with them...
first is to have faith that Jesus can heal, Second is to ask Him to heal,
third is to receive His healing,
and lastly is to go and sin no more.
All of these steps we actively participate in except one... we can’t heal ourselves. This is true of forgiveness, and salvation as well; the steps are exactly the same... just replace the word heal with forgive, or save, and realize that only God can do these things, and that He desires to do them.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”
Ephesians 1:7-10 ESV
You see, God doesn’t punish those that He doesn’t love, or have a use for. If He is making the effort to discipline you then He has a will and purpose for your life, and loves you as His child.
“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.”
Hebrews 12:6-8 ESV
When we look around us in the world we see people, regimes, and nations that do wrong, and commit sins, but never seem to be disciplined by God. Sometimes we see this and think that we too could do these things and not be punished. When I was a young boy, I was taking s very hard subject in school. Sitting next to me was a little boy who had developed a way of cheating on the tests and was doing well, but try as I might I struggled. So one day I decided that if cheating worked for this boy it would work for me too. When the time came the teacher handed out the tests, and I went through exactly the same cheating steps that the little boy beside me did... but just as I was about to finish the test, and turn it in, the teacher took me by the arm and led me into the hallway. I was caught!
Once in the hall she told me that she had seen me cheat, and that she was so disappointed in me. I loved this teacher and nothing could have devastated me more than to have her think poorly of me. As tears streamed down my face I told her how sorry I was, and that I wouldn’t do it again. She looked into my eyes and told me that I had so much promise, that she loved me, and that by cheating I was hurting no one but myself. I was given a zero on that test, but it cleared the air, I never cheated again, and she treated me as though I had never disappointed her. Years later I realized that if she saw me she probably saw the little boy beside me cheating too... so why did she take me into the hallway? It is a mystery to me, but I have a feeling that love played a part in that. When God punishes us it is the same; He loves us, has hope for us, and a will for our lives.
So... If God punishes you (like He did Jonah) you can rest assured that He values you above all the treasure in the earth. What do you promise Him as you go about “making it right with God?” In fact we have nothing He desires of us except three things... our unwavering love, faith, and obedience. Do you offer these as He gives pours His grace over you, just as Jonah offered his sacrifice? Are these the offerings you lay upon the altar of your heart? Do you accept the zero on your test, and allow His grace to restore your relationship?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your mercy and grace as you save and forgive me of my sins. Help me Holy Father to understand the depth of your love that saves me from myself, and the sins of the world. Thank you for your Son Jesus who you made to become sin for me that I might be righteous before you. Gracious Father, there is nothing I can do that would pay the price for your lost confidence in me; it is by your unwarranted grace alone that I am allowed to offer you my contrition, and for it to be counted as acceptable, and enough. It is only the blood of Jesus that, as it is applied to me, can wash me clean, and bring me to that place where I can hear your voice say “Go and sin no more.” Thank you for our hallway conversations Lord, and for the love by which you administer them. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you my God who loves me always, and disciplined me as His child. Praised be your name Lord for this discipline of love that you minister, and great is your Glory that is realized in my life of faith in you.
Rich Forbes