Vital signs
Have you ever seen the movie The Truman Show starring Jim Carrey?
It’s one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. Truman realised his whole life has been a reality TV show without his knowledge. In essence, he’s been hoodwinked and there is almost no worse feeling than being taken advantage of like that.
In one sense our culture has been duped into believing that because we can cure polio and send a rover to Mars (two amazingly wonderful things!) that therefore all mystery in the universe has been eradicated. But at the centre of the universe stands a God who is experienced as Paradox.
And in our text we find another paradox.
We know that those whom He has foreknown He also predestined and those whom He has predestined He also called and those whom He called He also justified and those whom He justified He will glorify (Romans 8:29-30). What a promise!!
And yet we find in our text a stark warning about not falling away! What is happening?
You see, God is not only sovereign over the end of your salvation (glorification) but the means by which He will see us persevere until the end. This means that 'warning passages' such as this serve as one of the means by which God keeps us firmly in His grip.
Jesus reminds us that “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hande. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29).
So today, hear His voice calling for you (John 10:27) to put sin away.
“Do not be sluggish, but be imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:12).
”So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding. For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame. When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it. Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation. For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.“
Hebrews 6:1-12 NLT
Team Wade loves you and is praying for you❤️👊
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