Dear Family,
When was the time that the 12 become believers? After three years with
Jesus, they were still a disappointment. Judas sold Jesus, Peter denied
Jesus three times, cut the ear of the servant. A few were jockeying up
for position in heaven and arguing about who is the greatest. . Others
were scattered and abandoned the King. Only the women stayed with Jesus!
Were they already believers at that time who surrendered their lives
100% to Jesus? What a picture of a disciple!
Truth is we are all fellow travelers...each with weaknesses that needs
to be surrendered to Jesus as we recognize them.....and that is the
process until we "graduate" to heaven...But we grow in that repenting
process only when we are involve with a gracious community that accepts
us unconditionally. We need to journey with one another especially in
our weakness.....
To be a disciple does not mean we will walk in obedience perfectly. We
are 100% forgiven and accepted unconditionally just because of
Jesus...absolutely nothing in us is acceptable to God apart from Jesus,
even our so called obedience and sacrifices.....that is our position
before God and it helps us be sober and humble before God and man.
We are saved by grace 100%, free for us but costly to Jesus. Even
maintaining our salvation is 100% by grace, not because of our obedience
are we accepted daily by God ....but only because of Jesus. If we deeply
appreciate the grace of salvation, we will be compelled to love and
obey Him in return as a sign of gratitude. Those believers who do not
seek to obey, do not yet experience and appreciate the depth of God's
love and grace. (Edd is right that we need to see our hopelessness first
before we can appreciate His grace. Problem is we see ourselves as good
and able people. We live independently from God--which is the worst form
of idolatry.)
We have to acknowledge Him as King of our lives, the one who owns us...
has the authority to manage and lead our lives...that implies that from
now on we will seek to obey Him with the help of the Holy Spirit out of
gratitude to His graciousness.
Wency
