AMAZING GRACE

Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus twelve original disciples. From the accounts in the Bible, he was also something of the treasurer who kept the purse of the group. We are told in accounts of the story of the woman who broke the contents of her alabaster box on Jesus feet even as she wept on them and wiped them with her tears how Judas was offended by the act. According to him it was a waste of money. People have deduced from the account that he was probably skimming from the money but the Bible says nothing about that. He probably just a skinflint and couldn’t bear to see such waste. However Judas was one of the twelve and he followed Jesus for three and a half years and saw all the miracles and wonders that Jesus did. However in Luke 23:2 we are told “Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.”

A few months ago, I got into conversation with Bart Millard, the lead singer of the Christian group, MercyMe on Twitter. They were about to release their latest album Welcome To The New and he was twitting about his new understanding of grace. I follow him and the band on Twitter so I get his words first hand. I must confess that I was disturbed by his words which is what made me start a conversation with him. I wasn’t the only one who felt disturbed by his comments and I was disturbed by the way he dismissed words from the Bible that didn’t fit the narrative he was pushing. According to him, once you become a Christian you can’t draw back or backslide because of grace. In the end, I cut to the chase and asked him if what he was saying is that once saved, always saved. He said yes.

I believe that grace is powerful. I believe that grace is powerful enough to keep us from falling. The Bible says God works in us to will and to do of his good pleasure. Simply it means God works in us so that we desire and want to do his will. Therefore God works in us so that we desire to do his will. Does it mean that God overrides our will? No. He just works in us so that we know and desire to do what is right. Even when we know what is right to do because of God’s spirit in us, he still will not force us to do it. Knowing the right thing to do and doing it are two different things.

Grace cannot force. The Bible tells us that it is God’s desire that all men be saved. But do we see all men being saved? Paul said he would glory in his infirmities so that the power of God would be more at work in his life. That meant that more grace would be available to him. The book of Proverbs tells us that God gives more grace to the humble while he resists the proud. Therefore I believe while grace is powerful, we have a part to play for grace to work in our lives. While even when we walk in rebellion grace is made available to us. However we cannot make use of the grace available until we leave our rebellion behind. We need to receive the grace and accept it to work. I have never heard of a situation where you can use something you have not received. While in rebellion grace will keep calling us back to God but it will not force. That is not in God’s nature. Jesus never forced men rather he persuaded men. The Holy Spirit does the same.

Just like most things in life, I believe that salvation can be lost. Jesus said his soul would have no pleasure in any man who puts his hand on the plough and looking back. We are asked to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. If it was something that could not be lost, why would the Bible ask us work out our salvation? Why would the Bible ask us to watch and pray? Why would the Bible ask us to watch lest we fall? God loves us and he wants us to love him back. He wants us to be involved in our own salvation. The idea that we have no part to play while the grace us God just takes us to our salvation I believe is wrong. I do not believe in once saved, always saved. Grace does not exclude responsibility.

JC Cruz is the author of DECEPTIO published by WestBowPress, a division of Thomas Nelson publishers.http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Products/SKU000194087/Deceptio.aspx and LOST, BUT FOUND available at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DPLLEUQ/. You can follow him on Twitter @Cruz_JCReal