The Lord is able to keep you from stumbling and falling. He wants to lift you up and hold you securely. You can rely on his strength to carry and sustain you.
“But I am trying to be born again,” said Christine as we travelled to church on the bus. “I try so hard to live a good life but I keep messing it up. I keep falling.” Christine hadn’t yet grasped the truth that being born again was an act of faith, not effort. “God’s word makes it clear that we are not justified by living a good life we are justified by faith in the good life of Jesus,” explained Mark our group leader. “Jesus was sinless and perfect in every way; he is the fulfilment of the Law of Moses. Yet he took the wages of our sin when he died on the cross, for the wages of sin is death. But then Jesus rose from the dead, and when he did, he conquered sin and death. By faith in his death and resurrection and by confessing him as Lord, we are saved and born again. We are saved by grace (and grace is God’s doing) and we are saved by faith, not any effort to live a good life,” said Mark.
Christine gradually understood the concept of grace and faith and surrendered her heart to Jesus. Sadly, however, she continued to fight the flesh. Christine fell time and time again, degrading her walk of faith. She hadn’t fully understood that our life of goodness is a continual faith walk. We are saved by faith and we are preserved by faith.
Faith is confidence in someone else. We all exercise faith every day when we trust other people to do what they have promised. Likewise, our walk of goodness is a walk of confidence in the goodness that God imputes into us when we are born again. However, the flesh is weak. This is why Jesus said, “In the world, you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.
Jude 24
The Lord is able to keep you from stumbling and falling. He wants to lift you up and hold you securely. You can rely on his strength to carry and sustain you. So, don’t be discouraged the next time you fall. Have faith in his grace (grace is God’s doing). He is able to keep you from falling.
God-tracking is faith in his sustaining grace
IT’S ALL IN THE BIBLE. READ ALL ABOUT IT.
Get into the word of God and get the word of God into you!
Romans 3:20-26Matthew 5:17
Ephesians 2:8
John 16:33
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This post is part of Dudley’s weekly GodTracker devotional series. You can also listen to his GodTracker podcast.
