God Will Once Again Spare You

In a way, this is a continuation of last week’s post; its core message is from the same verse. When God claimed believers who live holy for Himself and promised to make them jewels, He did not stop there. He went ahead to promise them a share of His grace. You of course know that grace implies that God does not deal with us according to our sins. So, by sharing His grace, God will once again spare you from just punishment.

This is not to be taken as common grace. That which God shares with those who honor Him as we saw in the last post, is very special. God will overlook your sin and remove the discouragement you might have that you offended Him. A true believer, like a biological son, feels discouraged for offending his father. The bible often refers to it as Godly sorrow.

Such talk may sound strange to someone who thinks himself a believer just because he attends church. If your Christianity proceeds from the fact that your name is on a church register somewhere, please pay attention. Because while God may accord you common grace, He may not overlook your sin. He is just to forgive that sin for which we are sorry and are ready to renounce. That is when God will once again spare you.

The prodigal son did not receive this special grace until after he repented and returned. King Saul did not receive it either because rather than repent, he rationalized his sin, seeking to justify his actions. By contrast, King David, whose sin was far greater, received this special grace because he acknowledged his sin.

This Is Not Hyper-Grace Either

God spared him the same way God will once again spare you. But only if you acknowledge that you are a sinner and do a U-turn. That is who God can claim for His own and whom he can use for His jewels. It is also the man that God will continually spare. Do you remember how many times Jesus said we must forgive as long as the offender repents? It’s a lot. And God holds Himself to His own standards. That means as often as you sin if you are ready to repent and return, God accepts you as a son.

And how does the bible say He deals with a son? “And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.” There are two very vital points in this passage of scripture. Once He regards you as a son, God will once again spare you, no matter what. Secondly, this is a son who serves his father. You want to ask yourself at this stage “How is my service to God?”  

That is why this special grace is not hyper-grace, the concept of grace regardless of how carelessly you are living You do not find that concept anywhere in the bible, and for good reason. God is a just God and if He gives grace to unrepentant sinners as well as to saints, where is His justice? Once there is genuine repentance, service naturally flows from a heart grateful for forgiveness. As you serve God as a son, God will once again spare you.

Learn To Serve God With Joy

There is an additional point in that verse which Christians who do not appear to enjoy their Christianity need to note. Are you, like King David, glad when it is time to go to the house of the Lord? Please note that I am not asking about your state of heart when it is time to attend church. You see, not every church is a house of God. Sorry, but we must tell the truth because it is only as we know the truth that we are free.

God wants us to serve Him with JOY, just like a child and not as a servant. A servant serves with pain, sorrow, and resignation. His attitude is “oh, dear, when will this be over?” By contrast, the child’s attitude is “what more do you want me to do?” You can tell the difference by how happy a person is when it comes to the things of God. And if your attitude is right, God will once again spare you.

When Hagar was running away from Sarah, she was morose but she did not get God’s attention with her sadness. It was her child’s cry that got the attention of heaven. In the same way, your glum nature does not impress God; if anything, it repels Him. He is a great God and He is greatly to be praised.

Therefore, He says we must come before Him with joy and gladness, not with sadness and despair. He already knows where your heart is bleeding but requires gladness because He is great, regardless of your particular situation. As you worship in with gladness, His greatness deals with the pain in your heart. He did it for Hagar.

God Will Once Again Spare You And Then Some

When God finds you serving Him with joy, there is nothing too much for God to do for you. God will once again spare you and do even more for you. King Solomon served God with real joy. After God spared him, He asked him for his desire. The request that King Solomon put before God was already huge but God gave him several bonuses as well.

You remember King David, who danced so vigorously before God that his wife despised him. Well, that dance caught the attention of God and He loved it. Serving God with gladness is one of the reasons God made huge promises to David. God made an everlasting covenant with King David. In the same way, God will once again spare you and give you an even greater blessing. Serve Him with Joy. He is great and greatly to be praised.

Maranatha!