Take Hold of Eternal Life
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called... (1 Timothy 6:12).
Our Father, God of mercy, God of grace, it is a sobering thought, but the Spirit of God speaking through the prophet Azariah son of Obed told King Asa, The Lord is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you (2 Chronicles 15:2).
Throughout the Scriptures, Old Testament and New, we are clearly shown that the choice to seek You or not—is ours to make. In Your amazing love You stooped from heaven to deliver us by Your grace, sending Your Son to live among us, and to die to pay the penalty for human disobedience and rebellion.
It was a penalty so costly that no human, or angel, or anyone but God Himself could pay (Psalm 49:7-9; 15; Isaiah 43:11; John 3:16). And though free to us, the gift was at a staggering cost to our Lord Jesus, just as it was foretold prophetically (Isaiah 53:3-11). No wonder Scripture poses the question, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? (Hebrews 2:3).
Oh Father, thank You for Your great gift. Thank You that all You require for us to do, it to take hold of eternal life—the scepter of grace You hold out through Your Son. You do not call us to work for our salvation—Scripture tells us, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
But You have called us to an active, believing, faith—beyond mere intellectual assent—to declare with [our] mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in [our] heart that God raised Him from the dead. (Romans 10:9). Scripture emphasizes that it is a deep matter of the heart, For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved (Romans 10:10).
And You have called us to purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God (2 Corinthians 7:1). You have called us to work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling. And as we do, You assure us that it is God who works in [us] both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13).
Father, help us, in Your great strength to to fight the good fight of the faith. We pray for ourselves the prayer the apostle Paul prayed over the Thessalonian church, May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify us through and through. May our whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank, You, O Lord that the One who calls us is faithful, and He will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
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