We must choose
Published: Wed, 12/07/22
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Sessions Include:Follow Me, Lesson #1 Follow Me, Lesson #2 Follow Me, Lesson #3 Follow Me, Lesson #4 Follow Me, Lesson #5 Follow Me, Lesson #6 |
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 PETER 1:3 GOD IS NOT the only one working in salvation. We must choose to receive or reject the mercy of God in Christ. The mystery of God’s mercy in no way negates the nature of our responsibility. But lest we ever think that such a decision begins with an invitation borne out of our own initiative, the Bible clearly reminds us that, left to ourselves, we would be lost forever. The only reason we can seek Christ in our sinfulness is because Christ has sought us as our Savior. The glory of the gospel is that the God of the universe reaches beyond the hardness of our hearts, overcoming our selfish resistance and sinful rebellion, and he saves us from ourselves. Such mercy magnifies God’s pursuit of us and crucifies our pride before him. Praise God that he has not left the invitation to salvation up to sinful men and women who in their rebellion would never choose him. Praise God that he has taken the initiative to call and enable us to follow Jesus, so that in his overcoming grace we might find eternal satisfaction for our souls. To be a Christian is to be loved by God, pursued by God, and found by God. To be a Christian is to realize that in your sin, you were separated from God’s presence, and you deserved nothing but God’s wrath. Yet despite your darkness and in your deadness, his light shone on you and his voice spoke to you, inviting you to follow him. His majesty captivated your soul and his mercy covered your sin, and by his death he brought you life. You are his child, not ultimately because of any good you have done—any prayers you have prayed, steps you have taken, or boxes you have checked—but solely because of the grace he has given.
Confess to God that your salvation is based on his grace in Christ and not on your own wisdom or abilities.
Platt, David. 2020. Follow Him: A 35-Day Call to Live for Christ No Matter the Cost. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. Check out our Bible Study on the book Follow Me by David Platt. It is on Amazon as well as part of the Good Questions Have Groups Talking subscription service. Like Netflix for Bible Lessons, one low subscription gives you access to all our lessons--thousands of them. For a medium-sized church, lessons are as little as $10 per teacher per year.
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