Anyone who says that you must do “this” in order to “earn” your salvation is preaching you a false gospel. That’s because Jesus paid the entire price necessary for forgiveness of sins with His own blood. Nothing man will ever manufacture can compare with what Jesus has already done. In fact, any attempt to compete with His sacrifice becomes an insult to God. That means everything that you and I “sacrifice” is presented as a thank offering to God, not as payment for the sins we have committed. Years of doing good deeds will not erase a single sin from our record. But one request for God to forgive us will erase years of sins. Incredible.
Does this mean that we no longer sacrifice? No, quite the opposite actually. We sacrifice time, talents, abilities, resources, thoughts, words and every effort that we can muster to the cause of Christ. Why? Because we aren’t trying to inherit the kingdom of God, we are sons and daughters who have inherited it. We are the royal family, and we are doing what kingdom royalty does…inviting others to join the kingdom. We invest ourselves in forgiving, loving and serving…just as our Savior has taught us to do. Not because we have to do it in order to get into heaven, but because we love Him, and because He loves us.
The author points out that those who truly love will make every attempt to serve and encourage, since this is the will of the Spirit living within us. He doesn’t point this out to shame us, only to help us know if our own selfish motivations are beginning to assert themselves again. And if they do, more serving isn’t required, but confession and request for forgiveness is. Once that occurs, we will be able to serve efficiently, otherwise it will always be a struggle.
Then the author points out (around verse 26) that those who are true believers will not “deliberately” continue to sin. This opens up the possibility that believers will sin, but will do so “unintentionally”. In Methodism we have identified these unintentional sins as “mistakes”, not to diminish their seriousness…they are still sins and require forgiveness…but rather to separate them from the intentional sins that identify rebellion and disdain for Christ. The believer may sin, but if his heart is focused on God he will be shamed because of it and will make a confession rather quickly (as soon as he/she is aware of the sin). Those who blatantly and deliberately continue to sin will find their conscience seared, and their hearts cold and hard. They will not listen to the Savior, and will not find themselves received by the Savior at the end of days.
In reverent respect of Jesus,
PR