He who knows His God shall do great exploits because that person is immensely empowered by the knowledge of God’s love, grace and blessing in his life, no matter how far he falls.
I have fallen more and deeper than anyone else in Youth Impact, I would dare say and the pastoral leaders would say ‘Amen’. They said I was the first guy in church who ever did what I did. But God will pick you up if you just wait on Him, continuing to trust and love Him no matter what you have done. Only He has the power change the things we cannot and make the crooked straight.
A few months ago, I read the Bible about King David’s life and I wondered why God and men looked up to him. I always thought that a man after God’s own heart would never fall and sin, at least not that much. He became from hero to zero in one day. The million-dollar question in my head was, “If David loved God so much and still fell, what’s the hope for the rest of us?”
Thankfully, that elitist complex is being torn apart bit by bit after all I have been through. I had been running in the faith for the past two years to achieve knowledge, power and might because I subconsciously thought that God would then be able to love and use me.
If that was true, God would be a hypocrite and not the Saviour that we know and love. But as the Bible says, “Let God be true and all men liars”.
Unknowingly, Christians base their security on how much they serve and know God. Though we know we are saved by grace, we believe in the contradiction that we have to be perfect for God to love and use us. But for grace to be grace and love to be love, it must come free and without condition.
I think we are missing the point if we try to be perfect for God to love us. We’ll all fall at times but what matters is that we abide in His love and words. There is none righteous but we can learn true righteousness from God’s love and mercy in times of spiritual hiccups.
The measure of righteousness is faith and love in God. The Bible says “Abraham believed and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Abraham wasn’t righteous, nor was the household of his nephew Lot. God could not even find ten righteous people in his household. But God justified Abraham because of his faith. For it is with our hearts that we believe and are justified.
Who on earth can teach us righteousness? Only God alone is good and righteous. The Bible says, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” We are but dust, made from the earth. Dust we were, dust we are and dust we will be, until God gives us our glorious body which puts on immortality and incorruptibility. We are not perfect yet nor are we all that we should and could be. I am very hungry for that promise.
If you read the Bible, you will realize love is the greatest gift, commandment and the biggest promise carrier. No eye has seen, no ear has heard and no mind has conceived what God has in store for those who love Him. All things work together for the good of those who love Him. Without love, we are nothing. Jesus might as well have said, “Even if you forget all that I teach you, do not forget to love God your first love and men your second love.”
Loving God is easy as “we love Him because He loved us first.” Let’s never forget this principal verse. Ask Him to love you and to teach you to love Him back.
But if you only love those who love you, is that true love? This is why God draws away from us some times. It is to test whether our love is one-sided where He does all the giving.
David was a man after God’s own heart and God loved him even when he went astray. God made David’s name great and his sons kings, though he was a sinner like us all. David did not give up on loving and abiding in God’s love. Isn’t it comforting to know that God loves those who love Him no matter what happens?
During my fall, I determined to know that God loves me above all my depravity. I continued to trust the Friend of sinners and love the One who is righteous and true. I did not believe that He was a hypocrite and He proved that His grace is enough and His love is totally different from that of a judge.
He is our advocate of peace and friendship with God. He says to the Accuser of the brethren, “They are not their own, I have paid the price for their sins.” He says to those who judge, mock and scorn , “Judge not my servants or you will be judged.”, “Take out the plank in your eye, it’s giving you a double vision standard of right and wrong.” and “Why are you fit, being a servant, to judge another Man’s servant?”.
God uses trials, temptations and trespasses to forge convictions in us and make our beliefs stronger. The shield of faith is forged by the burning coals of suffering and the heavy hammer of adversity and affliction. Doubts are turned to faithful convictions that will stay with us all our lives.
Love God with your all and live life with no regrets. Do not lose hope when gifts are lost. The fear of loss will make you lose more than you feared. The fear of the Lord makes you the lord of all fear. The fear of loss is the first step to losing to fear.
There is forgiveness and restoration for sins. The prodigal son was restored to his status immediately but not to his inheritance fully at once. He was tested on his faithfulness in small things as a steward of God.
Can you imagine how tempted he would have been to run away with the money again and spend it away on the evil pleasures of life again? The restoration of God is not immediate because He wants us to learn that there is a price for sin and that sin is wrong. If sin does not produce death, why should we stop sinning?
Contradictions appear and confusion prevails when we do not know God’s love completely. Call me bigoted, but what I am is BiGoded. Only the views of my Big God matter and stand as truth. I am not dogmatic, I'm God-matic. To Him, all is black and white. Gray’s an excuse. Learn what the will and ways of God is.
Though I may fall
Still I will call
Upon the name
Which saves my soul
I sing Christ crucified
He’s all that matters to me
I sing Christ crucified
Who laid down His life for me
I want nothing but His love. I need no one but Him.
I have trouble, but I’m not without hope.
I have weaknesses, but I’m not without faith.
I have nothing, but I’m not without love.
- James Lin Yuxi -
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