Weekly Devotional

SAVED AND SURE

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23a, HCS

            We are repeatedly commanded in the Scriptures to examine ourselves to ensure that we are truly in the faith of the Lord Jesus (Lam. 3:40; 1 Cor. 11:28; 2 Cor. 13:5 are passages which quickly come to mind).  In the modern church this self-examination often amounts to something like: “well, I walked the aisle when I was 7 and joined the church therefore I’m saved.”  Or there is also the thought “Oh, I know I’m saved because I go to church, say my prayers …” or any number of other duties one may regularly perform.  Of course the old classic is “Well, you know God just loves everybody so He doesn’t send anyone to hell – we are all going to be alright in the end.”

            Such thinking, however, is at best childish and at worse downright dishonest.  Such thinking and talk demonstrates a horrible misconception (read that as “unbiblical”) of what salvation is and how it is received.  It also reveals a lack of respect or as the Bible puts it, a lack of fear before God.  If one is not saved by the grace of God they face an eternity in hell with no reprieve – no second chance and no hope.  It doesn’t matter who they are (self, parent, child) or what they do (go to church, give money, pray, walk the aisle, etc.) – if they are not “in Christ” (Eph. 1:7) they are condemned.  Thus, we find the repeated commands in Scripture to examine ourselves, making our calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10).

            The apostle presents one such examination here in the contrast between the “works of the flesh” (Gal. 5:19) and the fruit of the Spirit.  Those who have been redeemed do not live by the lusts of the flesh, but by the presence of the Holy Spirit.  There is to be a difference, a visible difference in the way we live our lives.  For one to claim the saving grace of God yet continue to live with envy, unrelenting anger, sexual perversion and immorality, selfish ambitions or any of a host of other sins is simply dishonest.  We are, by the grace of God, new creations who are indwelt by the Presence of God.  How could one who has been so blessed ever mingle holiness with filthiness (2 Cor. 6:14-16)?

            This is not to say that believers don’t sin – of course we do.  But the presence of that sin in the life of a believer will be like a nail driven into our flesh.  As we are now the temple for the indwelling Presence of God, any sin will be an offence to His presence and thus will bring an immediate response until it is confessed and repented (1 John 1:9).  There is no compromise on this in the scriptures.  Either we are living the works of the flesh or our lives are filled with the fruit of the spirit.  “Therefore, brothers, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble,” (2 Peter 1:10).