MAINTAINING WHAT YOU HAVE

Perhaps more important than receiving your salvation is to maintain it to the very end. Sadly, to many Christians do not carry it through to the very end.

CONSIDER JESUS WORDS REGARDING SALVATION

Matthew 24:13-14

“but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN YOUR SALVATION?

The woman who they brought to Jesus who was caught in adulery.

John 8:2-11

“Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He [g]raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go [k]and sin no more.”

The key as Jesus put it so clearly here is to “sin no more”. However, through human effort this will be impossible.

Human effort does not work

Romans 8: 18-25:

“For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

The two natures inside of us.

Romans 8:1,12

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

There are two natures inside every person:

· The nature of the spirit

· The nature of the flesh (sinful)

Every day you and I must make the choice to follow Jesus and to obey His commands. When we make the choice and give God our obedience, God will enable us by his amazing grace and power!

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

God, grant me the grace to stay close to you and far away from sin. Jesus, I give you my willingness and obedience and multiply it by your amazing grace into miraculous power to overcome! In Jesus name I pray, amen!

Verse to meditate on:

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.