Title: Three Pathways to Prepare for Grace
The Gospel of John (27) The three major pathways for preparing grace (John 3:31-36)
1. The Atonement of the Cross
Salvation depends entirely on the merits and choices of the Lord. In the eyes of God, man is a sinner. Big or small sins are all objects of wrath in the sight of God. In the end, no one can open the way of salvation on their own with their own righteousness, only God must choose and open the way of salvation. Don't get too hung up on human comparisons. The important thing is, “How does God see me?” is to do
Who receives the grace of salvation? We must accept the gospel that was unfolded through the grace of the cross. The Lord did not come to this earth to understand and persuade the soul to save it. He came to this earth to take up the cross for the soul and atone for its sins to save it. People did not understand the truth of the gospel because that truth was beyond imagination at the time of Jesus (verse 32).
No matter how well you persuade, a person cannot be transformed into a righteous person recognized by God. So Jesus took up the cross. From that truth, we learn an important life principle. That is, if you want someone to change, don't try to change them by understanding and persuading them, but first trying to change the cross as a burden through emotion. When we realize the meaning of the cross, receive the gospel, and go further and practice the life of the cross, grace abounds.
2. Confession of Faith
God is pleased with a sincere confession of one's own shortcomings. Isaiah meets God in the temple, confesses his shortcomings, and receives grace. Then I heard the voice of God. “Whom shall I send, and who will go for me?” Isaiah confessed. “Lord, here I am. Send me!” When you call a person who has received grace to the field of mission, you must make a confession in response to the call to make the confession of faith a true confession.
When you receive grace, you will confess, “God is always right!” (verse 33). Having faith doesn't just mean confessing, "I believe in God!" Because they receive the blessing of eternal life, there are many people who make a superficial confession of faith only in words. Therefore, true faith is only when we have faith that acknowledges that “God is always right!”
Let your sincerity appear in your confession, “I believe in God.” Where does that authenticity come from? The sincerity of the confession of faith is judged when we confess that “God’s actions are always right” in any circumstance and environment. Such confession of acknowledgment of God's will and providence in all circumstances leads to numerous graces and blessings.
3. Obedience
Faith is obedience (verse 36). Do not try to elevate yourself by what you are leading. The matter of salvation is under God's sovereignty, and the matter of receiving grace and blessings is also under God's sovereignty. Therefore, abandon the mathematical and official belief that God responds to what you do, and always confess, “God is true,” and absolutely obey God's will. Such obedient faith leads the soul to a blessed path.
Even if you do a lot of service, it is of no use if you do not obey. People know obedience as the submission of the lowly to the high, but obedience is not a principle of practice by the lowly or the inferior. Jesus did not bear the cross in obedience to God's will because he was inferior to God, but he actively obeyed to fulfill God's great will and providence. Ultimately, being good at obedience is the best way to lead a life of faith.
A religious studies professor says: “Goryeo was destroyed by Buddhism and Joseon was destroyed by Confucianism, but there are many voices of concern that it will be destroyed because of fortress Christianity. Now, the church that speaks of salvation must first be saved. Such concerns are the voice of a challenge that we desperately need one sincere saint who wants to live according to the Word.