I’ve said it before: Salvation isn’t a one-time event. Not only did God’s mercy save us in the beginning, it daily saves us. The Bible says, “When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, [it was] not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:4-5).
Think about the woman caught in adultery as an example. When the scribes and Pharisees brought her to Jesus, He didn’t respond at first. He simply knelt down and wrote in the sand. As they pressured Him, He finally said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (John 8:7). Yet no one did. They all walked out.
Then Jesus asked her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She answered, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
Did you hear what Jesus said?
He is still giving the same instruction to us today: “Go and sin no more.”
She was guilty, but He showed compassion.
Jesus didn’t condone her sin by understanding it— He simply revealed the nature and heart of God by not condemning her. And this is why we should never take forgiveness lightly— even though God is patient with us.
God is the One who created us and placed us in Christ. He knows the fruit of righteousness in our heart will show up eventually. And when I say He placed us in Christ, it’s a picture of something being engrafted. This word refers to a cut made in the stem of a plant where another plant with an identical cut is placed in the slot so the two combine and grow as one. James 1:21 tells us to “receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.“
In other words, before salvation, our soul (our mind, will, and emotions) had sinful tendencies. But after salvation, our soul is constantly in the process of being renewed to the image of Christ. And God’s Word becomes vital in this process!
It saves us from us.
This explains why sometimes receiving God’s Word isn’t easy or painless. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and morrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
God’s Word is going to step on our toes (guaranteed), but the goal is to rescue us from our own mind, will, and emotions that are a constant playground for the enemy. So God uses His Word to insert itself into our broken places, binding itself to our heart to add life and bring growth. And when you think about it, this is amazing!
When a plant is engrafted into another, it is very common for one plant to sprout and produce the blooms of the other species on its own stems. This is a picture of how God removes our shame, guilt, and pain. All the wounds these areas leave behind become places God fills with the blooms of Himself. But the most important truth is this:
None of this could happen if Jesus wasn’t wounded first.
“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5).
When Jesus took our sins, a spiritual cut was made. If He had not been wounded, there’d be no place for us to be grafted in.
God knows we’re going to make mistakes. So when He prompts us to repent, our response needs to be “Yes Lord” because He will always have our best interest in mind. Action will be required— but action and performance are not the same thing. Remember, repentance isn’t only an action of faith; it’s also a mental decision.
Have you ever noticed that wherever your eyes go, your feet follow? It’s the same with our thoughts and this is why Romans 12:2 says, “…let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”
Faith pleases God. Not religion.
When you fall short, repent. Then get up and go again. God will always be right beside you helping you along the way.
