14/01/2022
Jude 1:3-4
Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. 4 I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Grace is the most challenging concept to understand. To some, grace means license. It means that because salvation is not dependent on our works, they can live however they like. And then some are afraid to embrace grace completely because they insist that salvation is dependent on their works. So they walk with shame and guilt, trying very hard to please God with their own effort. This cycle is dangerous because when such people stumble, they become guilty-ridden. Instead of going to God, they run away from Him due to the feeling of condemnation as if what they have done has any effect on their status as children of God. God is not so much concerned about our missteps but our next steps. What will you do next now that you have lived outside your inheritance? Will you allow shame to get you deeper into a life outside your inheritance, or are you going to acknowledge that God’s people don’t live like that and embrace your status and live likewise?
We need to accept that our salvation is a gift from God. We need to have the confidence to accept that we are righteous even before doing anything. However, this should not create an attitude of entitlement but the humility to humbly strive to walk in our righteousness. Yes, there is nothing we can do to merit our salvation. Yes, our righteousness doesn’t depend on our works.
Nonetheless, it is our duty as His people to live lives that are pleasing to Him. We should make our God proud of our walk not to gain His accep
