I had my doubts.

It was 1979. My favorite baseball team – the Pittsburgh Pirates – were down 3 games to 1 to the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. It looked like it was all but over. In fact, I was convinced it was over. My friends tried to tell me to not give up, but I wasn’t having any of that. My team was dead, and I saw no reason to hope for life to return.

Boy was I wrong! Suddenly, their bats started waking up and the pitchers were shutting the Orioles down. They won game 5 at home to force the Series back to Baltimore, but I still had a lot of doubts. Having to win two games on the road was a daunting task. But the momentum had swung the Pirates way and they did the unthinkable. They won both games 6 and 7 in Baltimore to complete the comeback. The Pirates did come back to life and were the World Champions of 1979!

What an amazing thrill! All my doubts had been erased in a single moment in time. I wish I could say that I completely learned my lesson and have never struggled with doubt again, but that wouldn’t be quite accurate.

I’m sure you’re like me and have experienced your moments of doubt too. Perhaps you’ve had doubts about your health, your marriage, your children, your parents, your friends, your career, your financial situation, etc. Whatever we go through in life is open to doubts.

Maybe you’ve even had your doubts about God. If you have, you certainly wouldn’t be the first and you definitely won’t be the last. Even Jesus’ disciples had doubts of their own.

It’s easy for us to read our Bibles and think that the disciples were idiots sometimes. But give it serious thought for a while and try to put yourself in their place. Would we have acted any differently? Take, for example, the Sunday morning after Jesus’ death. I know he had explained to them on several occasions how he would die and be resurrected, but really, we would have seen it coming? There was almost nothing in the disciples’ life experience to have prepared them for it. They simply had little frame of reference for someone coming back to life. Sure, they had witnessed Jesus bringing others back to life, but how would he come back to life.

Yet that is exactly what happened. There they were all huddled together in a locked room in Jerusalem. For all they knew, the Jewish leaders who were responsible for Jesus’ death were after them too. And then, “Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord (John 20:19b-20).”

Like me when the Pirates came back to life and won the World Series, the disciples doubts were gone in an instant when they saw Jesus was alive, back from the dead. Well, not quite all the disciples.

“Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’

But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe (John 20:24-25).’”

Because of that one statement, Thomas would be forever known as Doubting Thomas. What a shame. It’s come to be used as a derogatory name for anyone who has doubts about someone or something.  But again, how many of us would have believed the disciples’ story either? I think most of us would have heard them saying, “We have seen the Lord!” and would have probably responded, “Ya, right.”

When it comes to having doubts concerning God, a lot of us feel guilty for having such thoughts and try our best to suppress them. I think, however, that it’s best to be honest with God about the doubts we’re experiencing. It may not be fun confronting them, but how will we grow and overcome them if we don’t?

I believe that part of the reason we don’t like to confront our doubts is because we’re afraid that God will be angry with us. Or even worse, we become convinced that having doubts may mean that we aren’t really saved because true Christians don’t have doubts. Baloney! I personally know Christians who have had doubts regarding things about God. Just because they had doubts doesn’t mean they aren’t saved.

God invites our questions and doubts. He’s big enough to take it and He looks forward to leading us through it all. Besides, those are moments that God can put his grace on full display and show us how great his love is.

That is exactly what Jesus did with Thomas. He didn’t get angry with him. He didn’t abandon him because of his doubt. He didn’t cast him aside and say that he was not one of his.

Instead, he waited for the right moment, when Thomas was with the rest of the disciples in that same locked room just a week later. As John tells the story, “Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe (John 20:26-27).’”

As we have examined over the last several weeks, we see once again Jesus revealing how he is full of grace and truth. I picture this not as a moment of rebuke but as a tender scene. He cares deeply about Thomas. He desires nothing more than Thomas to know the reality of his love for him and the reality of who he is.

Did Thomas get it? Let’s let him answer that question. “Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God (John 20:28)!’”

Because of Thomas’ encounter with the grace and love of Jesus in that moment, his hope was fully restored. So completely were his doubts erased that tradition tells us that Thomas traveled all the way to India in later years to share the incredible news of the life that awaits those who recognize Jesus as Lord and God.

Let that be a lesson for all of us. Don’t run from your doubts. Face them head on with God just as Thomas did and let His grace and love wash all those doubts away as He reveals to you the truth of who He is. It may take time. It may be painful at moments. But the everlasting joy of knowing God and living in His love far surpasses all of our momentary trials. How do I know? Because Jesus promised it.

After Thomas saw Jesus truly was risen from the dead, Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29).” Some have taken that as Jesus being critical of Thomas. I don’t. Let’s not forget that Jesus is full of grace. He surely expected Thomas and the others to have their fears, doubts, and questions. Instead, I think Jesus was merely stating a fact. No one since that generation has seen Jesus in the flesh. We all have had to believe without seeing. Is that a blessing? If you’re experiencing the indescribable joy of being loved by God right now, then yes, it definitely is. So be blessed and know that he is full of grace and truth.

I’m sure you’re wondering why there’s a black rectangle at the top of the page. I don’t know if you’ve ever been in the interior of a cave with no lights on, but that is exactly what it looks like. I’ve been on several cave tours where the guide got us all in a large room of the cave and turned off all the lights. The darkness is almost indescribable. You can’t even see you own hand right in front of your eyes.

Now imagine living like that everyday. Imagine having no eyesight and all is dark all the time. You perceive no shapes, no colors, no light, and no images with your eyes.

There are those who don’t have to imagine that at all because that is their life condition. Some are born blind and have never had the opportunity to see the things the rest of us often take for granted. For all those dealing with blindness I offer this hope from Jesus himself:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18-19).”

As the Gospels record, Jesus healed several blind people. One of those instances is found in John 9 when he and his disciples encountered a man born blind. Stating that he is the light of the world, Jesus proceeded to make some mud with his own saliva and put it on the man’s eyes. “‘Go,’ he told him, ‘wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (this word means ‘Sent’). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing (John 9:7).”

Can you imagine being one of his family members? How stunning that must have been to suddenly see the blind man you’ve known all you life now able to see.

It was so stunning that some didn’t even believe it. They began questioning him, “‘How then were your eyes opened?’ they asked. He replied, ‘The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see (John 9:10-11).’”

Before we get too critical of the doubters, let’s be honest. How many of us would have believed it at first? I dare say that I probably would have doubted at first too.

Of course word of this miracle made its way to the group of people who loved and admired Jesus the most – the Pharisees. (That’s a joke!) Some of his doubting neighbors brought him to them. It didn’t take long for a controversy to stir.

As they questioned the man about what and how it happened, the Pharisees realized that this had been done on the Sabbath. There were few, if any, things worse in the eyes of the Pharisees than to do work on the Sabbath. And since Jesus had made mud and healed the man on the Sabbath, it led to this exchange:

“Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man (Jesus) is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.’

“But others asked, ‘How can a sinner perform such signs?’ So they were divided.

“Then they turned again to the blind man, ‘What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.’

“The man replied, ‘He is a prophet (John 9:16-17).’”

The Pharisees were so troubled by what had happened that they simply refused to believe that man had been born blind. They even had the man’s parents brought into them so that they too could be questioned. The parents acknowledged that the man was their son and that he was born blind, but they refused to say how he was now able to see. Why would they not tell them? Because as John records, “they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue (John 9:22).”

So the Pharisees turned once more to the formerly blind man and began grilling him further. “‘Give glory to God by telling the truth,’ they said. ‘We know this man is a sinner.’

“He replied, ‘Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see (John 9:24-25)!’”

We have now reached a critical part of the story. Up until now, the focus has been solely on Jesus healing the man of his physical blindness. But as is typical with stories of Jesus, it goes far beyond being about the mere physical. What we are about to see is that Jesus healed him of a very significant spiritual blindness as well.

The Pharisees pushed still further. “Then they asked him, ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’

“He answered, ‘I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too (John 9:26-27)?’”

Can you hear the man’s heart of faith? With that simple question – “Do you want to become his disciples too?” – the man is making known who he intends to follow. He does not yet fully grasp who Jesus is, but the seeds of faith are there. It won’t take long for those seeds to bloom fully and for his spiritual eyesight to be completely restored.

After insulting him for his newly found faith, the Pharisees said, “‘You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.’

“The man answered, ‘Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing (John 9:28-33).’”

What a remarkable statement of truth from the man born blind. Because of his healing encounter with Jesus, he was now able to see more clearly than could those who were regarded as the most spiritually-inclined people in Jewish society. He was able to recognize that Jesus was from God and the religious experts could not. Sadly, that kind of thing still goes on to this day.

Of course the Pharisees were enraged by the man’s faith and his presumption to lecture them. So after insulting him some more about being a sinner from birth, they kicked him out. What a fortuitous thing for him. As it turned out, this gave him another opportunity to encounter Jesus.

“Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’

“‘Who is he, sir?’ the man asked. ‘Tell me so that I may believe in him.’

“Jesus said, ‘You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.’

“Then the man said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him (John 9:35-38).”

I started this blog about those who live in physical blindness. I do not mean in anyway to diminish its impact, but living with spiritual blindness is even worse. The man born blind was now able to see, not just in a physical sense but in a spiritual sense as well. He had beheld the Son of God and was completely transformed. He was blind, but because of the grace of Jesus Christ, he could now truly see. Utterly amazing!

That’s what another man thought who was healed of blindness by Christ. John Newton wasn’t born with physical blindness, but he did suffer from spiritual blindness. He was involved in the 18th century English slave trade and even became a captain of a couple slave ships. It was during one of his voyages to West Africa that he became ill with a fever and gave his life to Christ. Some time later, he quit the slave trade business and became a minister and an abolitionist.

His work in ministry and his support of abolition are undoubtedly important, but his most durable contribution to the world came in the form of a hymn, still beloved by millions. It may be one of the most recognizable hymns ever written and it fits in perfectly with the story of Jesus restoring sight to those who are blind.

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found.

Was blind but now I see.”

 

Imagine you had an opportunity to spend an evening with Jesus. What would you talk with him about? Would you ask him some questions?  What would they be?

I know some of the questions I would ask. I would ask him how it’s possible to have no beginning and no end. I would ask him what he thinks about how we’ve divided ourselves into all the different denominations and sects that exist within Christianity. I would also ask him about all the different opinions concerning baptism, communion, speaking in tongues, the nature of God, and salvation.

I bet I’m not alone with some of those questions. There are surely others who have wondered similar things. In fact, I know there are because I’ve talked with others who are asking the exact same things.

After 2,000 years of Christianity, why would so many believers have those questions? Shouldn’t we know the answers by now? What has happened to cause so much confusion among Christians?

We’re certainly not the first people to suffer from spiritual confusion. There were others before us, and perhaps we can learn some things from them that would help us.

Let’s go back 2,000 years ago and meet a man named Nicodemus who was suffering from his own confusion. Fortunately for him, he had his own personal encounter one evening with Jesus. Nicodemus asked some good questions, but Jesus’ answers blow us away even to this day. So let’s go back in time and be a witness to their conversation.

“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him (John 3:1-2).’”

Now the first thing that jumps out is the fact that Nicodemus was a Pharisee. The Pharisees were no fans of Jesus. Yet here he is seeking Jesus out for some answers to questions he has on his mind. It might explain why this encounter is happening at night.

The second thing to note is that Nicodemus didn’t ask a question, at least not yet. Perhaps there’s an implied question there, such as, “Are you really from God? I mean, you are doing some really spectacular things, but how can I be sure?” The speculation could be endless, so let’s just see what comes next.

“Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again (John 3:3).’”

Jesus had a way of knowing what was on the hearts of people, so his response is very enlightening. Notice how he didn’t directly respond to anything Nicodemus said about him. Instead, he went right to heart of what was really on Nicodemus’ heart. It would seem that what Nicodemus really wanted from this man who had “come from God” was how one could enter the kingdom of God. Like many today, Nicodemus was apparently confused about salvation.

The conversation continued with Nicodemus’ first question. “‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born (John 3:4)!’” In case you had any doubts regarding what he was confused about, I think his follow-up question put those doubts to rest. It was abundantly clear that he had no idea what Jesus meant by being “born again.”

It’s at a moment like this that Jesus really shines. He knows that Nicodemus has no idea what he means, but that doesn’t stop Jesus from sharing the truth with grace. “Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’  The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit (John 3:5-8).’”

Unfortunately, Jesus’ explanation didn’t sink in with Nicodemus immediately. “‘How can this be?’ Nicodemus asked (John 3:9).” Obviously, he was still very confused.

Jesus continued to extend him grace and teach him truth. “‘You are Israel’s teacher,’ said Jesus, ‘and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,so the Son of Man must be lifted up,  that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him (John 3:10-15).’”

At this point, Nicodemus was probably blown away by what he was hearing from this carpenter from Nazareth. I know I would have been. He probably had even more questions, but he apparently chose to just listen. We should be glad he did, because if what Jesus had to say up to this point was amazing, what he said next was absolutely earth shattering. Perhaps we could say it was heavenly!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned,but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God (John 3:16-21).”

I’m betting that Nicodemus’ confusion was cleared up after this conversation with Jesus. In very unmistakable terms, Jesus states the condition for salvation and entrance into the kingdom of God – believe in him and you will have eternal life! That’s the wonderful news of God’s grace brought to the world by and through Jesus Christ.

Sadly, much of the world continues in spiritual confusion. As Jesus said, people love the darkness and refuse to come to the light, even though the darkness ultimately brings nothing but misery, emptiness, and loss. But just as Satan did with Adam and Eve, they have been deceived and therefore are not living by the truth. That’s why they need Jesus. In him is life and truth.

But let’s not make the mistake of thinking that only unbelievers are living in spiritual confusion. Christians can too. The abundance of denominations and their different doctrines is all the evidence we need of that. For example, some say that in addition to faith, you also need to be baptized in water to be saved, while others say that it’s not necessary. Some say you need to take communion every week, while others say that it should be saved for special occasions. Some say that tithing and weekly church attendance is a requirement, while others hold a different opinion on both. And we haven’t even touched on the differences between Christians on matters of worship styles, Bible translations, carpet colors, etc.

Have you ever suffered from spiritual confusion? With all the different teachings out there, who wouldn’t. Let the one who is full of grace and truth clear up the confusion for you. Pick an evening and spend it with Jesus. Be open and honest and let Jesus do most of the talking. Remember that he’s full of grace and truth. Let both sink deep into your heart and your confusion will begin melting away.

The true mark of friendship is when you are there for each other, even in each other’s worst moments. No matter how idiotic one can act, a real friend will overlook those shortcomings and continue to show support. That’s what friends do.

Being able to overlook shortcomings and flaws in others is a sign of grace. Jesus certainly had plenty of opportunities to show such grace. Just take Peter as an example. While being one of Jesus’ closest associates, he definitely tested Jesus’ willingness to show grace on several occasions.

There was the time, for example, when Peter and the other disciples were out on the Sea of Galilee without Jesus. Later that night, the boat began to get tossed by the wind and waves. Worried already by the worsening conditions, the disciples were further terrified when they saw what they thought to be a ghost walking across the water. But instead of a ghost, it was Jesus.

Peter, ever the rash one, cried out, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water (Matthew 14:28).” After Jesus gave him the go ahead, Peter stepped out of the boat and began walking toward Jesus on the water.  

So far, so good. But Peter’s fortunes began to sink a short time later. As he noticed the wind, he lost his focus on Jesus and began to go under. He cried out to Jesus. “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt (Matthew 14:31)?’”

At first glance, it appears that this was a rebuke. But I tend to look at it as a form of encouragement.  Jesus used this moment to show Peter that he didn’t need to doubt because he would always be there for him. Why? Because that’s what friends do. But whether you see this as a rebuke or encouragement, one thing is for certain.  It didn’t cause Jesus to give up on Peter. There was much more to come in Peter’s story.

It’s amazing how quickly it seems that Peter can follow a bright moment with an embarrassing one. Not long after Peter declared that Jesus is the Son of the Living God, we next find him rebuking Jesus. After explaining to his disciples how he was going to die, Peter was incensed. He took Jesus aside and said, “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you (Matthew 16:22)!”

But Peter’s were not the final words. Instead, Jesus responded by saying, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns (Matthew 16:23).” Was this a sharp rebuke? It sure was. But did this cause Jesus to leave Peter behind? Not a chance. In fact, just six days later, Peter, along with James and John, received the honor of witnessing the transfiguration. Now how’s that for a show of grace!

Unfortunately for Peter, he’s not yet done with his impulsive ways. On the night that Jesus was betrayed, Peter decided to play the hero. In a vain attempt to protect Jesus from those who had come to arrest him, Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. This prompted another rebuke from Jesus, who said, ““Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me (John 18:11)?”

Once again we see the grace of Jesus in action. In his gospel, John says that a detachment of armed soldiers were part of the group that were to arrest Jesus. Peter’s rash actions could have very easily caused a full-scale fight, perhaps leading to Peter’s own arrest or death. Instead, Jesus protected his friend by willingly giving himself up to the authorities. By this, Jesus put his own words into action: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13).”

Of course there was much more to it than that, as Jesus was soon to give himself up for the whole world, which is what he meant by saying that he was going to drink the cup his Father had given him, a cup of sacrifice and death.

But going back to the night of his arrest, Jesus’ grace extended even beyond Peter. According to Luke, Jesus healed the high priest’s servant whose ear Peter had cut off. In this dire moment, we see unmistakable signs of Jesus’ grace, not only to a friend like Peter, but even to those who came to arrest and hurt him. As we can clearly see in the hours before the cross, Jesus was demonstrating the depths of God’s grace and love even toward those who were his enemies.

And now we arrive at what must have been for Peter the worst moment of his life. Prior to his arrest, Jesus had predicted that Peter would deny him three times. In typical fashion, Peter, the brash one, essentially said, “No way! I’d die for you.” But once again, Peter would regret his words.

As the story goes, Peter did exactly as Jesus predicted. As recorded in all four Gospels, Peter, under the stress of the moment, denied knowing Jesus three times. When the full realization of what he had done hit him, he went out and wept bitterly.

Think about it for a moment. Imagine you are faced with a situation of sticking up for a friend whose life is on the line or saving your own skin. How many of us would have acted any differently than Peter? How many of us have betrayed a friend for much less?

This definitely sounds like it should be the end of the rope for Peter. I’m sure he thought as much himself, which is probably why he was weeping so bitterly. He had done some pretty rash and foolish things prior to this but this one takes the cake. There’s probably not a worse feeling in life than hurting the people we love the most. That’s where Peter found himself now, especially since Jesus was about to die and Peter would never have the chance to set things right.

But the wondrous power of God and the amazing grace of Jesus came to the rescue once again. John tells of an encounter between Jesus and Peter after Jesus’ resurrection. Peter and five other disciples were out fishing in the Sea of Galilee when a stranger appeared on the shore with a suggestion that led to a miraculous catch of fish. It’s only then that the disciples realized that it was Jesus.

Once ashore, they ate breakfast together, and after eating, Jesus and Peter had the following exchange.

“Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep (John 21:15-17).”

Three times Peter had denied knowing Jesus. Three times Jesus lovingly restored him. That’s true friendship. And that’s grace. As a result, Peter went on to be the primary leader of the early church and fed and took care of Jesus’ sheep, just as Jesus wanted him too.

Through it all, Peter had learned humility and true friendship. He had seen the grace and love of Jesus over and over again throughout his ministry, but particularly in his own personal encounters with him. And I believe that in his darkest moment of betraying his Lord, Peter came out the other side understanding grace like he had never understood it before. Because by his act of grace, Jesus took what might have been an irreparably broken friendship and healed it. That’s why John could rightfully say that Jesus was full of grace and truth. No doubt Peter was in full agreement. 

Have you ever noticed how some people become known by certain characteristics or traits they have? For example, Abraham Lincoln was known for his honesty. Albert Einstein was known for his genius. Michael Jordan became known for his ability to seemingly glide through the air.  And Mother Teresa became known for her compassion.

There are many examples like these throughout history and Jesus is no exception. There are probably many characteristics that he was known for, but I think John summed it up best. In the opening of his gospel, John said, “We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).”

There’s no doubt that John was not alone in thinking of Jesus in terms of grace and truth. It would be difficult to imagine the other apostles not thinking that way too, particularly Peter and Paul. But of all the words that could have been used, why did John choose grace and truth? What was it about Jesus that made John pick those two particular characteristics to highlight?

Over the next several articles, we will examine different ways that Jesus demonstrated grace and truth. As a result, we will also learn more about our Father and how He feels about us.

The first example of the grace of Jesus comes from a familiar story. Early in his ministry, Jesus had been gaining notoriety by driving out evil spirits and healing a number of people of sicknesses. A few days after healing a man with leprosy, Jesus returned home to Capernaum. The people came to see and hear him in such large numbers that there was no room in the house where he was preaching and teaching, not even outside the door. “Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven (Mark 2:1-5).’”

Talk about grace in action. Why had the men brought the paralyzed man to Jesus? For one reason. They wanted him to be physically healed. But is that what Jesus did? No, at least not yet. Instead, Jesus did something far more important and something very unexpected. He forgave the man’s sins!

Why would Jesus do that? I think there are several reasons. First, Jesus understood the man’s needs. Yes, he needed to be physically restored, but even more critical was the man’s spiritual needs.

The Jewish people of those times believed that a person with a disease or infirmity had it because God was punishing them for their sins or the sins of their ancestors. (See John 9:1-5 for an example.) Though we are not told this directly in the story, it’s very possible that this man may have been burdened with the thought that he was under the curse of God. That’s simply no way to live. Imagine how heavy a person’s heart would be living with the thought that God caused some type of illness in their lives because of their sins. Imagine how that might lead a person to believe that God hated them. Living in this fallen world is tough enough without having to live with debilitating thoughts like those.

If thoughts such as these were afflicting the man, it makes perfect sense that Jesus would address this first. Not only would the man have been suffering from a physical paralysis but he would have been suffering from a spiritual paralysis as well.  This condition just could not be allowed to persist if the man were to truly live. Jesus would have seen that this man needed to know that God was not counting his sins against him; that that was not the reason for his suffering. He needed to know that God cared about him and loved him deeply. He further needed to know that God desired to restore what was broken in him, not just physically, but in every way.

Second, I think Jesus had the same goal in mind with everyone else in the crowd. Not only did the paralyzed man need to know these truths about God, but probably everyone there needed to know it. It’s very possible that many of those there to hear Jesus that day may have also thought that the paralyzed man was under the curse of God. If so, Jesus certainly would have wanted to correct their thinking too.

There was a third thing going on here and it has to do with a truth about himself that was about to be revealed. By saying that the man’s sins were forgiven, Jesus provoked the ire of the religious elite. “Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone (Mark 2:6-7)?’”

The teachers of the law were correct. It would have been blasphemy for Jesus to say that the man’s sins were forgiven – if he were not God! Jesus’ response to the religious leaders was both full of grace and truth. “Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins (Mark 2:8-10).”

By responding in this fashion, Jesus was about to show everyone a truth about his own identity – that he is the Son of God! And in doing so, he was also reemphasizing the truth about the love of his Father and how it is His desire to restore people and make them whole.

“So he said to the man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this (Mark 2:10-12)!’”

By now healing the man physically, Jesus had indeed made him whole. He had shown him, and the crowd at large, that God truly loved him and that his sins had not caused him to be cursed by God. He also revealed to everyone there his true identity. Now they would know that God was really among them, which once again showed how much He cared for them. This was all so truly amazing that it elicited a response of praise from the crowd that could only come from experiencing the truth of God’s grace and love.

This story unmistakably shows us how essential God’s grace is. If it weren’t for Jesus’ act of grace, the truth of God’s love would not have been made known to them, at least not in the incredible way that it was. Jesus, full of grace and truth, created an environment in which everyone in the crowd could be healed from a potential spiritual paralysis.

Are you suffering from something in your life right now? Have you become convinced that God is punishing you because of sins in your life? Has it prevented your relationship with God from growing and flourishing? If so, then you too are suffering from spiritual paralysis. Let the truth that Jesus revealed start to bring about a change in your perceptions too. God is not angry with you. He loves you and He wants to restore you, just as Jesus did the paralyzed man. Allow his grace to bring healing in your life and live in his grace and truth.

My wife and I are fans of the sitcom called “The Middle.” It’s about a family in a fictional town in Indiana called Orson. It’s your typical family of five – Mom, Dad, and three kids. The middle child is a daughter named Sue. Sue goes out for everything in school – cheerleading, cross country, tennis, volleyball, school play – you name it, she’s tried out for it.

And poor Sue makes almost nothing. When she does manage to make a team, it’s purely by accident. For example, she made the cross country team because it was a “no-cut” team. She made the volleyball team only because she broke through the gym floor during try outs, hurt herself, and the coaches were afraid her parents would lawyer up and sue the school.

To make matters worse, almost no one seems to recognize her or know her name. It’s almost like she’s invisible. Does this get Sue down? Nah! She’s the most upbeat and positive kid any parent could ask for. And she never gives up either. She simply moves on to the next team or function she wants to be a part of.

This, of course, is all done in good humor. But could you imagine that happening to you in real life? Could you imagine no one recognizing you or wanting you to be on their team?

That’s the way some people see it when it comes to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. They think there are some Sue’s out there in the world for which Jesus’ sacrifice did not apply. He neither knows them or wants them on his heavenly team.

Is it true? Is it possible that Jesus did not die for everyone? Could it be that his death was only for a select few?  

We began examining that possibility last week when we took a look at some Bible verses that seem to say otherwise. However, knowing that others can point to verses that seem to support their view, I thought it would be appropriate to look at this from the vantage point of God’s character. Would God seek to save only a certain number of people or would He want to save everyone?

Anytime you’re going to discuss God’s character, you have to go straight to the heart of His nature. Fortunately, we’re not left to guess what that is. As John says twice in his first epistle, “God is love (1 John 4:8,16)” So from that starting point, what does that tell us about God?

Again, we’re not left in the dark. We have a perfect description of what God is like in a passage that is often read in weddings. In what is commonly called “The Love Chapter,” Paul goes beyond telling new brides and grooms what it means to truly love each other. He also describes God in a beautiful way. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, we read, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

Since God is love and love is patient, God, therefore, is patient. The fact that He is patient is an extremely important point, because as Peter informs us, “he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).” Did you catch that? God doesn’t want anyone to perish. In a similar fashion, Paul says that God “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4).“ So already we can see that God’s heart is for everyone to be saved. If that’s the case, then wouldn’t it make sense that Jesus died for everyone?

Paul also said that love is kind. Therefore, God must be kind. In what universe would we call God kind if He didn’t have Jesus die for everyone? If there are indeed some Sue’s in this world who will never have a chance to be saved, how could they ever possibly see kindness in God? Would you?

We also see that love is not easily angered. This certainly must be true of God or how could we make sense of what happened at the cross. Despite some of the most brutal beatings and excruciating pain that man could dish out, we’re told, “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life (Romans 5:9-10!” Even when we were His enemies, He was not angry with us. Instead, he brought about reconciliation and peace between us by His sacrificial love through Jesus on the cross. In fact, it was not God who was mad at us; it was man who was mad at God. And yet, He still loves us.  What remarkable and unprecedented love our God has!

The reconciliation that occurred at the cross also reveals another aspect of God’s love – that He keeps no record of wrongs. Again we turn to Paul. He made this point clear when he wrote, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them (2 Corinthians 5:19).” How is that for a loving Father?

Bringing all this together is the fact that love perseveres and never fails. Think about that for a moment. God perseveres through everything, including all our sin and ugliness. He will never give up on us. He pursues us relentlessly and woos us with His love.  And through it all, His love will pierce and penetrate our stubbornness and rebelliousness. Our hard hearts will ultimately melt in the face of God’s persevering love. How can I know that? Because God’s love never fails. If indeed Jesus died for all, and the preponderance of Scripture bears this out, then it will ultimately be effective.

But what about those who cling to unbelief? Again, God’s love will never fail! To repeat the verses I quoted above, God desires that all men be saved and that all come to repentance.  Will He fail? Will His love not ultimately win us over? If it won’t, then what Paul wrote about love seems to be a lie to me. Let’s remember, God is love. So if love never fails, then how can God, the one who is the very embodiment of love, possibly fail? It doesn’t add up. The only way that He could fail is if He gave up on people. If He gave up on people, then we would still be dealing with a lie because love would not have persevered. So if love perseveres and never fails, then could God fail by not persevering?

From all this I’m left to draw one conclusion – Jesus died for all! If we were left to our own inclinations, would we draw close to God? Probably not. Like Adam and Eve when they tasted the forbidden fruit, humanity has been running and hiding from God ever since. I am therefore convinced that the story of the Bible is not man seeking after God, but God seeking after man. The entire story since the Fall has been about God’s steady, relentless pursuit to find and restore what was lost, which most definitely includes the broken relationship between us and Him due to our sin and shame. And isn’t that what was happening at the cross? Wasn’t Jesus showing us all that God loves us so much that He was willing to lay down his life in order to bring about reconciliation? He’s done more than forgive us; He’s reconciled us to himself in Christ. Since he pursues us, rather than the other way around, doesn’t that demonstrate how essential His grace is? If it weren’t for his love and grace, we’d still be hiding from Him in the bushes, just like Adam and Eve. It’s time to stop hiding and let His grace show you how wide and long and high and deep His love is.

Most of the things we believe about God come from our religious traditions and teachings. It’s amazing how many of those traditions and teachings don’t really give us an accurate portrayal of God. But once we accept those portrayals as truth, it’s not easy to see it in any other way. I know, because there are a number of things I once used to believe that I now see in a completely different light.

One of the things some religious traditions have taught is that Christ’s sacrifice was not for everyone. They claim that he died only for certain people, the specially selected ones. The rest are apparently just out of luck.

I find this assertion absolutely dumbfounding. Not only does it fly in the face of many portions of Scripture, but it also paints a picture of God that is totally false and tells an entirely different story of why Jesus came into this world in the first place.

Let’s first tackle what the Scriptures say. As Jesus was approaching him one day, we find his cousin, John the Baptist, making this stunning proclamation about him: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)!” Clearly John saw Jesus’ mission as one that would have impact on not just a selected few but on the entire world. 

And then we have a town of Samaritans with something similar to say. After her encounter with Jesus at a well, a Samaritan woman told some of her townsmen about Jesus. He stayed a couple days and taught them about God, which prompted this response: “They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world (John 4:42).’” The Savior of a few? Nope. The Savior of the world.

And then we have the apostle Paul. He wrote to the Corinthians and explained to them, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died (2 Corinthians 5:14).” How many did Paul believe Jesus died for? All. Seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it?

Just a few verses later, we read Paul declaring, “…that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them (2 Corinthians 5:19).” In Paul’s theology, there was no question who was affected by Christ’s sacrifice. It wasn’t just a portion of the world that was reconciled to God. It was the whole world.

He also made a couple remarkable statements in his first letter to Timothy. First, he said, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst (1 Timothy 1:15).” When he says that Jesus came to save sinners, who does that include? Only certain people? Hardly. This same apostle declared in his letter to the Romans that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. So who is included in Paul’s statement that Jesus came to save sinners? Everyone!

Later in the letter, he wrote, “That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe (1 Timothy 4:10).” Notice that he says that Jesus, the living God, is the Savior of all people. And then, as if to make sure that Timothy understood what he was saying, he specifies that Jesus is especially the Savior of those who believe. But the important point is that Jesus is not only the Savior of those who believe, but of all people. That’s a very inclusive statement.

Then we turn to the apostle Peter, perhaps the person who knew Jesus best. As he encouraged his readers in the midst of their suffering, he reminded them, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God (1 Peter 3:18).” Who was righteous? He is clearly referring to Jesus. So who qualified as unrighteous? That would be everyone else in the world. So like John the Baptist, the Samaritans, and Paul, Peter also understood Jesus’ sacrifice to have universal effect.

And finally, we come to the apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. Like the people in the Samaritan town, he declared, “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14).” Again, Jesus is not the Savior of a few but of the whole world. It can’t be much clearer than that.  

But just in case his readers missed it, he also wrote, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).” John plainly states that Jesus was the atoning sacrifice for “our” sins, referring to those who were fellow believers. But then he takes it a step further and says that Jesus was not only an atoning sacrifice for believers but also for the whole world. Again, Jesus’ sacrifice applied to everyone.

These passages, and so many more, clearly reveal, in my humble opinion, the truth that Jesus died for all. And if God is as loving as I believe He is, His love is the reason for it. As John 3:16-17 tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Obviously, not everyone agrees with me. They will point to other parts of the Bible that seem to say something different. That is why we will next turn to examining the character of God. In other words, is God, as revealed to humanity by Jesus Christ, more likely to try save everyone or to save only a few? That will be the focus of the next article. So stayed tuned for more as we go even deeper into the question, did Jesus die for all?

In my mind, God’s grace is synonymous with his love. You don’t get one without the other. It’s a package deal, and it’s the most wonderful deal ever offered to mankind. Because of his grace (and his love), God has offered everyone the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. And like any gift, it’s yours if you simply receive it.

However, not everyone can accept that it’s that easy. The typical counter-argument usually focuses on God’s justice and his need to dole out punishment for sin. You may be saved by grace through faith, but you can lose it if you don’t live a life of devotion and obedience to God.  

These two views are diametrically opposed to each other. One focuses on what God has done. The other focuses on what we must do. To see how these differences  would play out, let’s imagine a conversation between two people who hold these different views. One we’ll call Mr. Justice and the other we’ll call Mr. Grace.

Mr. Justice: “God’s grace is wonderful and all, but what about his justice? The fact that he’s a just God demands that he punish people for sin.”

Mr. Grace: “Is that what you really want? Don’t forget that all have sinned and fallen short of his glory.”

Mr. Justice: “I’m not talking about little sins. I’m talking about really big sins, such as murder. Murderers will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Mr. Grace: “Are you sure you want to go there? Have you ever been angry at your brother or sister and called them an awful name?”

Mr. Justice: “Well, I certainly haven’t committed adultery.  I’ve been as faithful as can be. So God won’t judge me like he will all those adulterers.”

Mr Grace: “Again, are you sure you want to go there? Have you ever looked at another member of the opposite sex with lust in your heart?”

Mr. Justice: “Ya, but I’m a nice person. I don’t hate people. And God certainly won’t treat haters with grace.”

Mr. Grace: “Okay, here we go again. Have you ever sought revenge against someone who hurt you? Or how about hating someone who doesn’t like you?

It’s tough being Mr. Justice, isn’t it? Living up to all those lofty expectations that Jesus taught in his Sermon on the Mount is not only difficult, it’s impossible. Remember, Jesus even challenged us to be perfect just as his Father is perfect. Ouch! How is Mr. Justice going to live up to that one?

Mr. Justice: “But God is just. Doesn’t there have to be punishment for sin? I know I’m not perfect. Who is? But still, it’s not like I’m Hitler or something. Surely the Hitler’s of this world will be punished for all their evil and wickedness. Otherwise, how would God be just?

Excellent question! Let’s get into that.

There are a couple of forms of justice that are often associated with God. One is called retributive justice, which is just a fancy way of saying that he exercises justice by punishing offenders. It’s essentially our legal system’s form of justice. There are laws, and those who break the laws need to be punished so that there is justice for the victims.

It’s not a coincidence that a synonym of the word retribution is revenge. If you think about it, isn’t that what retribution is, a form of legal revenge against those who have hurt someone in some way? In Mr. Justice’s view of the world, God is the offended party. Our sin is what has caused the offense. We’ve broken his laws, so God must punish sinners so that there is justice.

I see some problems with this view. First, Jesus said that we should love our enemies, just as his Father in heaven does. That’s an amazing statement if God practices retributive justice. Seeking retribution in the name of justice doesn’t seem very loving. Instead, God sends the rain upon the unrighteous and causes the sun to shine on the evil. Sounds like a God who cares for the well-being of sinners, not one who is looking for ways to punish them.

Second, we were once God’s enemies too, and he showered us with love, not punishment. Look at what Paul said about this incredible truth: “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life (Romans 5:10)!” What Paul is declaring is quite astounding. We were reconciled to God while we were still his enemies! In other words, he took action, made the first move, and pursued us with love. No matter how you slice it, that’s not retribution.

Third, it doesn’t fit the character of God. Did Jesus come to earth to punish sinners? Not according to him. As he said, part of his mission here on earth was to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). A casual reading of the Gospels shows the truth of that statement. Jesus was constantly hanging out with sinners, not to rebuke or punish them, but to save them with the love of his Father. In fact, that’s part of what got him into regular trouble with the Pharisees and Sadducees, the very religious leaders who depicted the Father as a God who would punish his enemies, including the very sinners Jesus hung out with. But that’s wasn’t the God that Jesus revealed.

The three points that I just raised not only reveal problems with the view of the retributive justice of God but they also reveal the true form of justice that God practices – restorative justice. As I’ve mentioned several times in past articles, God is constantly at work to restore everything that sin and death have sought to destroy, and that includes mankind. That’s why Jesus came to seek and save the lost. That’s why he spent so much time with sinners. That’s why he went to the cross to reconcile man with God. That’s why he came to take away the sin of the world. And that’s why he came to give us life, and give it to us abundantly. As he tells us in John’s revelation, “I am making everything new (Revelation 21:5)!” That’s because he’s not out to punish us but to restore us.

Jesus’ entire mission on earth was about restoring things and setting things right. By that I mean putting things back to the way God intended. That’s what was happening on the cross, the ultimate act of love and grace. As Jesus demonstrated the self-sacrificing, loving heart of God, so we are called to do the same. God’s restorative justice calls for an end to human violence and our penchant for seeking revenge by challenging his children to seek peace and reconciliation. This is the way of love and it’s made possible by the essential grace of our ever-loving Father.

So just as he offered us reconciliation and peace through forgiveness, so we must do the same to others. That is the just thing to do. And as we do so, we will find ourselves participating with God in his work of restoring human relationships to the way he always meant for them to be.

I was truly blessed as a kid. I was born into and grew up in a loving family. Sure we had our disagreements and fights from time to time, but we always knew we were there for each other. And though no marriage is perfect, my brother, sisters, and I knew that our parents loved each other and loved us. To this day we remain a pretty close group.

Sadly, that is not the story for everyone. There are those who grew up in terrible circumstances. Some lived through horrendous abuse. Others were abandoned by the ones who were supposed to love and care for them. Circumstances such as these can leave physical, emotional, and spiritual scars on a person that can cause feelings of worthlessness and lead to struggles with feeling loved and accepted by others.

How does one overcome such challenges? Well, I’m not a counselor, therapist, or psychologist, so whatever advice I can give certainly doesn’t come from a professional perspective. What I do have to offer comes only from the heart.

I know it probably sounds trite, but I believe the ultimate answer lies with God. As I’ve mentioned before, he’s been in the business of fixing what is broken since the day Adam and Eve introduced sin to humanity. His love and grace makes all things possible.

We’ll begin with Paul, who had some very practical advice for us to meditate on. As he said to the Christians in Philippi, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Philippians 4:8).”

We all face challenges in life of varying degrees. Some are unquestionably more difficult than others. But there’s little doubt that dwelling on our problems doesn’t help us overcome them. The more our minds are filled with negative thoughts, the more the outcome is likely to be negative. It’s not that I’m a pollyanna power-of-positive-thinking person, but Paul’s advice is something we should heed.

Think about what is happening when we do as Paul suggests.  When we direct our thoughts on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, what would those thoughts lead us to? Would not these thoughts ultimately direct us to God himself? Jesus said that he is the way, the truth, and the life. If we are thinking about what is true, we would ultimately be led to Jesus. God is love. If we are thinking about what is lovely, we would ultimately be led to God. The Holy Spirit reveals all that is right. If we are thinking about what is right, that too would ultimately lead us to him.

Allowing our minds to routinely reside in darkness will simply keep us in that darkness. But allowing our minds to live in the light of God will bring about change in our perspective. That’s why we are encouraged to “fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)” and “set our minds on things above (Colossians 3:2.” That’s where the light is. Keeping our minds gazing on things below, such as on the terrible circumstance of life that made us feel worthless, will never bring us to the light.

Imagine for a moment a baseball player who is in a huge hitting slump. He just can’t seem to get a hit if his life depended on it. He thinks about it constantly. He has nightmares in his sleep of striking out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning. It’s awful! He knows he’s letting his team down, but he just can’t seem to shake it. What is his way out?

Well, it certainly does him little to no good to keep dwelling on it. In fact, if he does, the negative thoughts may so consume him that he may never be able to get out of the slump his in. He could become convinced that his best days are behind him and he will never be a good hitter again.

That’s clearly not the way to go. At some point he must begin to refocus his thinking on things that can help him move forward. His approach must be transformed by the renewing of his mind (Romans 12:2).

That’s where Paul’s advice comes in. The more we think about excellent and praiseworthy things, the less we will fixate on all the negative stuff in our lives that weighs us down and makes us feel unloved and worthless. The more we fix our eyes on Jesus, the more we can move forward. To the degree by which we fix our eyes on him, the more we will recognize and experience his love and grace.

To live loved we must know we are loved, and God has clearly demonstrated his love for us. As we are told in what is perhaps the most famous verse in the Bible, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).” We are also told, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him (1 John 4:9). And finally, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).”

Do you see God’s love in this? Through Jesus, he died for you. Through Jesus, he gave you life – his life! You may have been abandoned by those on earth who should have been there for you and loved you, but God has never abandoned you. He lives his life in and through you. He can’t possibly get any closer to you than that. That’s how much worth you have in his eyes. You are that one lost sheep that he left the other ninety-nine to find. You are that lost coin that he spent all night searching for. You are that lost son whose life had become a foul mess, but he ran after you anyway to hug you and kiss you and welcome you home. You may not have had much of a family here on earth but you certainly have a family in God and all his children. You mean that much to him.

You might be thinking, “That’s easy for you to say. You grew up in wonderful circumstances.” True. I don’t deny it. But take a look at Paul’s life. Read 2 Corinthians 11 sometime about all the abuse that he went through. It is utterly amazing! And despite all the abuse he experienced, he could still say later in his life, “ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!… And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:4,7).

How could Paul rejoice in the Lord and experience the peace of God after being beaten, stoned, flogged, shipwrecked, left for dead, cold and naked, starving and thirsty, and everything else he went through? Only one way. His mind had been transformed by the love and grace of God. He knew he was loved because he had lived loved. He could have let all the nasty things that nasty people did to him get him down and lived in utter despair and darkness. But Paul knew Jesus and his love, and the love of Christ is far greater than any of the miseries this world can dish out.

Let yourself live in the love and grace of God. It’s essential for your life. It may take time, but it’s a far greater journey than living a life in darkness and hopelessness. Don’t let feelings of worthlessness take hold of you when the one who has paid the ultimate price for you says that you have invaluable worth to him. Let God show you how much you mean to him. Live in his love and let his peace bring peace to your troubled life.

 

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I am big on God’s grace. As the title of my site clearly suggests, I believe his grace is absolutely essential for our life, both now and into eternity. There would be no salvation, no life in Christ, apart from the infinite grace of our loving Father.

Because of God’s grace, there is nothing we need to do to earn or keep our salvation. It’s ours already if we are in Christ. That’s amazing grace!

This message of grace, however, is not accepted by everyone. There are those who believe that God’s grace needs to be balanced by his holy demands for justice. This leads them to believe in what I often refer to as a mixed message of law and grace. The argument is that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ. That’s good so far. But then they take it a step further. They claim that we have to be obedient to God’s commands and overcome sin in order to stay saved. If we aren’t obedient, we can find ourselves in danger of losing salvation.

I’d like to address the idea that it’s possible to lose our salvation. It seems to me that that is completely incompatible with a God who is love and full of grace. If we could do nothing to earn salvation in the first place, then why would he expect us to be able to do something to keep it. Besides, as you will soon see, that argument seems to run counter to so much the Bible has to say on the topic.  So let’s take a look at some key passages and see what they have to tell us about whether we can lose our salvation or not.

If we can lose our salvation, then…

…Jesus didn’t die for all our sins.  (Colossians 2:13)

…Jesus’ work on the cross isn’t finished.  (John 19:30)

…Jesus would have to die again.  (Hebrews 9:22, 26-28)

…Jesus has not taken away all the sin of the world.  (John 1:29)

…Jesus didn’t completely redeem us by his blood.  (Ephesians 1:7)

…Jesus does not carry the lost sheep home.  (Luke 15:4-6)

…Jesus can drive us away.  (John 6:37)

…God still remembers our sins.  (Hebrews 10:17)

…God is counting our sins against us.  (2 Corinthians 5:19)

…God is keeping a record of our wrongs.  (1 Corinthians 13:5)

…God has not removed our transgressions as far as the east is from the west.  (Psalm 103:12)

…God can leave us and forsake us.  (Hebrews 13:5)

…God has not reconciled us to Himself through Christ.  (Romans 5:10)

…God would have to be against us.  (Romans 8:31)

…God will not carry on His good work in us to completion.  (Philippians 1:6)

…God does not keep us firm to the end.  (1 Corinthians 1:8)

…God is not faithful to his New Covenant promises.  (1 Corinthians 1:9)

…it is not God’s will that Jesus will lose none of us and will raise us up at the last day.  (John 6:38-40)

…God is not shielding us by his power.  (1 Peter 1:3-5)

…the Holy Spirit is not a seal guaranteeing our inheritance.  (Ephesians 1:13-14)

…the Holy Spirit would have to leave us.  (1 Corinthians 6:19)

…someone or something can snatch us out of the Father’s and Jesus’ hands.  (John 10:28-30)

…someone or something can separate us from the love of God.  (Romans 8:38-39)

…being born again must mean that we can also die again.  (John 3:3)

…the groom (Jesus) could divorce his bride (us – the church).  (Ephesians 5:25-27)

…the new is gone and the old has come back.  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

…we were sold back at a price.  (1 Corinthians 6:20)

…we are not saved by grace through faith alone.  (Ephesians 2:8-9)

…we are saved by works, not by grace.  (Romans 11:6)

…we are still under the law.  (Romans 6:14)

…we are still under a curse.  (Galatians 3:13)

…our righteousness is based on works of the law.  (Romans 3:20)

…we have to be perfectly obedient to stay saved.  (James 2:10)

…we would not have peace with God.  (Romans 5:1)

…we would still be God’s enemies.  (Romans 5:10)

…we can be judged.  (John 5:24)

…we can cross back over from life to death.  (John 5:24)

…we can be under condemnation.  (Romans 8:1)

…we can never know for sure that we have eternal life.  (1 John 5:13)

…eternal life is not eternal.  (John 3:16)

It seems to be clear to me from these passages that once we are born again, it is God who keeps us saved.  He has bought us, shields us, keeps us firm to the end, carries on His good work to completion, and carries us all the way home.  Therefore, since it is Him that is doing all the work, He will lose none of us.  We couldn’t turn away from the faith and reject Christ even if we wanted to, which a true believer wouldn’t want to because he is a new creation with a new heart and a new spirit, united with His Spirit.  A true believer wouldn’t even have the desire to reject Christ; He guarantees it.  He is faithful, and He proves it by sealing us with the Holy Spirit as a deposit that guarantees our future inheritance.  (Ephesians 1:13-14)

Besides all that, a proper understanding of the New Covenant helps.  The Old Covenant was like a contract between God and Israel.  Both parties had responsibilities.  If the people were faithful, God would bless them.  But that was the problem; it depended on the people fulfilling their end of the agreement.  As the writer of Hebrews said, the Old Covenant was outdated and obsolete because the people were not able to remain faithful.  The New Covenant, however, is not a contract.  It’s more like a will.  There is only one party that agreed to it, and He is faithful.  It doesn’t depend on what we do.  It depends on God’s promises, and He has promised that those who believe in His Son will not perish but have eternal life.  That’s what is in the will; we are going to receive it because it doesn’t depend on our faithfulness; He has guaranteed that He would keep us to the end.  We can’t jump ship once we are in Christ.  Hallelujah!