I think we Christians often forget that we had nothing to do with our own salvation. It is all by God’s grace that we heard the gospel message at all. We then believed and turned to Jesus to save us from our sins. Many Christians will say they also believe that we did nothing worthy to get saved, but then some will turn down their nose at those living in sin that never had an opportunity to clearly hear the Gospel.
The old statement, “there but for the grace of God go I” when we encounter a person living in a worldly or unfortunate lifestyle is just the plain truth. The grace of God to His children also applies to much more than just their initial salvation.
I was saved more than 40 years ago, but I did things fairly early in that time period that could have ended my professional career almost as fast as it had begun. “There but for the grace of God go I”, to sweep floors for a living if I lost my top-secret clearance.
Losing a government job that required a top-secret clearance was easy back in the days when a top-secret clearance was only granted and retained with those that were deemed to have high moral character. I don’t think many young people today would qualify under the old standards.
For example, there but for the grace of God, those police officers that stopped me while driving under the influence could have arrested me instead of telling me to park the car and not move it until morning. Not to even mention, the times that I did stupid things but never got caught.
During my government national defense career, anything like a conviction probably would have got me terminated. That may not be as true in our government today. However, back in my early days, homosexuals, those that bounced checks, used marijuana, or most foreign nationals or those that married one, could not get a top-secret clearance. Today they are acceptable and are even running our government at the highest levels. Our present President even used Cocaine.
If I had been convicted and terminated, I probably would have been only highly qualified to sweep floors for the rest of my life. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it sure would have impacted the rest of my life. I certainly could not have retired at 50. Only early retirement allowed me to do this free full-time Internet ministry. Only the grace of God allows me to be here.
I personally know a few highly trained professionals that totally destroyed great careers by giving into a moment of weakness. Well known Christian leaders have done likewise. Is it because they were never saved at all? That is a possibility for some, but more likely, they got trapped in a sinful lifestyle but displayed self-righteous hypocritical pride to the public, so God exposed them and disciplined them. I do not think God has much tolerance for pride.
Most of us deserve the woodshed experience. I have been there. However, God is extremely merciful toward His children, so we seldom get the full punishment that we deserve. That has been true in my life.
The Devil knows our weaknesses, and He would love to exploit them, if God allows. Remember, even Peter became puffed up with pride and told Jesus that he will die with Him rather than deny Him. Jesus told Peter that Satan asked God to sift Peter like wheat. He told Peter that Peter would deny Him three times that night, and Peter sure enough did.
It was only because of the intercessory prayer of Jesus, that grace was given to restore Peter to his leadership position so that he would strengthen the brethren. After Peter realized that he was a sinful weak man and could do nothing to please God in his own strength, God poured out grace and mercy on Peter. He then went on to do great things in the power of the Holy Spirit.
What Christian has matured beyond committing sins of the flesh? Only liars! We will all be tested at various times in countless ways and any one of us can fail and be out of God’s will. It occurs more often than most of us like to admit. So when a brother falls and lives by the flesh, should we write them off, or try to help restore them? You know the answer, because, there but for the grace of God go you as well.
Only by the Grace of God are we even saved to start the walk of sanctification to try to learn to crucify our old nature so that we can do God’s will. For those that never heard the gospel of salvation, how much more should we be burdened for them to accept God’s gift of grace? Some Christians just look down on the walking zombies of the world, but the truth is, there but for the grace of God go we all.
We also need more than just head knowledge that this is true. We actually need to treat those that have not understood the gospel as if they have been blinded by Satan because they have.
Most people living in the world have not experienced the grace of God. They are not living like children of God because they are not children of God. They are blinded by their father the Devil. His ultimate goal is to bring the human race to complete destruction and he is having a field day. The sins of the world ultimately bring death on the human race and that is what the Devil wants. There is no love for the Adamic race in him. He set out to deceive them from the start.
So, think about it, when we see someone trapped in Islam, drugs, false religions, destructive lifestyles, or various other evils of the world, we should not be looking down our noise on them. We should be saying, ” there but for the grace of God go I”, and realize the only real help that we can give them in this fallen world is the Gospel of God’s grace and His salvation through Jesus.
Any temporal social gospel fix is much like putting a band-aid on cancer. It is not going to help their temporal condition much, and it certainly will not save their eternal souls. The great commission to the Church is to preach the gospel to every living creature.
Mr 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mt 28: 18 And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: 20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Everything Christians really need for eternal life will be provided by God. Christians do not need a social gospel or a prosperity gospel. Material riches is what the blinded in the world want and it is why these false gospels are so well received. All die and have troubles in this life, but only those that believe the Gospel of God’s grace to believers, conquer death and the fallen world that Satan rules.
The Gospel of salvation through Christ is not just needed for those in third world countries either. There is a whole new generation in the West that have never understood the true Gospel and almost no one in the 10×40 window has even heard that gospel. We need to support real harvesters in these last days rather than all the wolves in sheep’s clothing that have infiltrated Christen media and churches.
Ouch, this one hurt. Thanks for the reminder, I needed it!
Don, The Lord must have put this well written article on your heart. I have been guilty in the past of trying to pluck the splinter out of my brothers eye when I have a 2×4 in my own. I look at my own past and know I should have not been forgiven or cut a break for my behavior or actions. I have been humbled and my eyes & heart softened and now know, there by the Grace of God go I. I too was raised Catholic, but thanks to God & my Grandmother, we attended a Full Gospel Church on the north side of Chicago, and my Mom, Dad, Aunt, and myself were saved. My 2 brothers are struggling and there is a battle going on for their souls.
As for retirement? At 54 and on track financially, I don’t believe it will be there or will be so devalued it won’t matter. Thanks for the great article and for your service to this once great country. I know there are many who serve our country who do what is right and have family and friends who serve in Federal Law Enforcement and local, and how they are being tested and demonized by this administration.
Yes Don, a timely article.
Because of the blatant and widespread destruction of the gospel within the churches today, we who see the grace of God spurned and despoiled do tend to get angry. ‘Be angry AND SIN NOT’ is so very applicable and ‘There but for the grace of God go I’ helps to that end. Our words should have more influence if we keep it in mind.
However I do trust that you will continue your stand against the wolves within christendom. Their false doctrines must be brought to the light.
Amen.And yes I’ve been to the woodshed a few times myself.
Amen! Wow, this really spoke to my heart, and I surely needed the reminder. When I was first saved, I had the right attitude of “it could be me”. But admittedly, I needed this reminder. Thanks Don for the edification and course correction. Seems like a lot of the time I hear the”….thats evidence they were probably never saved” mantra. I hope that I never have to find out from first hand experience! I still need His grace and mercy. Again, thank you for such a timely and wonderful post.
This is a good Word. It’s difficult to be humble and to admit that apart from Christ we can do nothing. The flesh is demanding and the self wants its own way so it’s easy to get self-righteous in our judgments toward other believers. It’s not so easy to consistently cooperate with the Holy Spirit and give him permission to burn up OUR dross. That’s humbling. This is why we need to be THANKFUL for his Grace because in our humanness, we’re all a bunch of worthless hypocrites.
I try to thank GOD every day for loving one such as me, when I knew HIM not. I know of no one worthy of what our LORD JESUS CHRIST did for us.
Thanks for the meat; Don, that I always get from your site. I am not sure you realize how much you are appreciated.
Amen!!
As always, a great article. Thank you, Don, for your service to our country and for all you do preparing and keeping this website up and running for those of us who desire more “meat”.
Thank you also for your testimony. No one can take our testimony away from us. As you state, we must remember that believers have been given the most wonderful gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. We cannot earn that gift and we do not deserve it. We are thankful it cannot be taken away by any power. Once we have the precious gift of salvation, the Holy Spirit teaches us (if we meditate on His Word) about all God has done for us–cleansing us, justifying us, sanctifying us, saving us from the power and the penalty of sin, and some day (Hallelujah) from the presence of sin. But, as Paul states in Romans 7: “For if you live according to the flesh you will die (not enjoy your spiritual life); but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” The Spirit-filled life is peace and joy. But, as you said we must be careful lest we also be tempted in the ways of the world. We are grieved as a body of believers when someone falls into sin and as you state should be careful to consider that it could be us. We don’t lose our salvation but we lose our fellowship with God and our testimony to others. Restoration is the only answer as God requires because we are all on level ground at the cross–no one deserves salvation. I pray I will love the Lord and His precepts and remain in the precious Word, putting on the full armor of God to continue in this life as Paul states, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord”. We unfortunately must deal with the flesh until physical death but then it will all be worth it when we see our Lord!