Continualy Saved by Grace

“Continually Saved by Grace”

What is it about our sinful self that creeps up on us and takes us off guard? I can be so nice to people at work all day. And yet when something goes wrong at home with those closest to me, I can lose my temper so quickly. Happened again late Friday night.

We drove to Keller, Texas with our family, Shannon’s friend and Aaron’s girlfriend. We planned to spend the night at Susan’s sister’s house, get up very early in the morning, and fly to California to visit my family. We were all so excited about getting out of the heat and heading to the west coast to spend some days at the beach. .

When we got to the house and started to unload the luggage, Shannon announced that she needed to take her big suitcase in the house. Then she dropped her bottle of Starbucks Frapucinno on the driveway and broke it. I let her know how annoyed I was at her. Here we are about to go on this great vacation and I made a big stink about a piece of luggage and a broken bottle. I felt terrible about myself.

Before going to bed I apologized to Shannon and, as always, she told me she forgave me. Before I dozed off to sleep trying to push away the guilt and self-condemnation. I was reminded once more that there is no good in this flesh of mine and how desperately I need the Holy Spirit to curb that sinful tendency we all have.

This incident also reminds me of an article from the paper that Susan had cut out and saved for me earlier that day. It was Billy Graham’s column. A person wrote Billy telling of his doubts and guilt because he sinned after inviting Christ into his heart. He wondered if he had lost his salvation. Billy assured him that if he truly asked Christ to forgive his sins and come into his life, then he was saved. We will still sin even after becoming a child of God, Dr. Graham assured this troubled young man. In fact, we sin at times unwillfully. Yet this sin does not make us lose our salvation. We don’t go in and out of our salvation. WE ARE SAVED BY CHRIST ALONE – not by anything we do or don’t do. It doesn’t’ depend on us. Our security in Christ depends solely on Christ.

I need to hear this assurance every day, because it’s so easy for me to fall into the self-flagellation mode after incidents like last night. This does not mean I take sin lightly. I don’t want to sin because I don’t want to hurt my Savior – and because when I sin I often hurt others – even those I love dearly. And yet I know that I have been and am continually saved by what Jesus did for me on that wondrous cross.

Thank you, Billy, for this reminder. And thank You, Jesus, for the eternal security we have in You.

Jim