Drawing Back From God’s Grace!

Drawing Back From God’s Grace!

“Looking diligently lest anyone draw back from God’s grace; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled . . . .”

This is a strange exhortation, because it is grace for which we pray and are glad. You wouldn’t think that we needed such an exhortation. We have a false understanding of grace when we view the matter like that. What then is grace? “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” V. 6.

Everyone understands that the Lord’s love and care for us is grace, but very few people realize that it is grace when He chastens and scourges us. “No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but grievous . . . .” V. 11. Therefore we need this exhortation not to draw back from God’s grace. Our life with God is a life of faith, and those who humble themselves under God’s mighty hand will be exalted in God’s time. 1 Pet. 5:6.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age . . . .” Tit. 2:11-12.

Do you believe you need to be chastened to obtain this life, or that you can obtain it without chastening? “But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.” V. 9. We are glad for the chastening if we are sufficiently humble to acknowledge this.

In connection with drawing back from God’s grace we read, “Lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble.” Many people are bitter; they are disappointed, feeling hurt and offended. Why have they become like this? They have become like this because they have not understood God’s grace. They were not sufficiently humble to understand that they needed the treatment they received or the tribulation they encountered. They thought it was unrighteous and so they became bitter. Then they speak about it to other people to garner support and consolation for their self-life. The others who listen to them are soulish and have no understanding of God’s grace either; therefore they are defiled by this bitter root.

All those who are sufficiently humble to understand God’s grace are being saved by being chastened and scourged. You will not hear any complaints from such people and will not see any long faces. They are being redeemed and purified from all the malice and anger in which people live. What a glorious work of grace this is.

“But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness . . . .” etc. 2 Cor. 6:4-10.

You would like to be a servant of God and also be regarded as such. But when God gives you grace—an opportunity—to commend yourself as a servant of God, you become malicious, bitter, offended, etc. Through the grace of God you are then being revealed as not being a servant of God because you drew back. You can commend yourself as a servant of God by much patience, purity, and goodness, but not by bitterness, fault-finding, etc.

“Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?’” Job 1:8.

How many people knew that? Not even his three friends realized it. Now God wanted to use him as an example, not only for his generation, but for all generations. This was a tremendous grace of which Job partook.

“Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the patience of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” Jas. 5:11.

After all these years, how could we have known about Joseph’s purity if God had not held him up as an example through tribulations and temptations? We could continue to describe God’s grace in this manner. For forty days Goliath came and mocked the armies of the living God. 1 Sam. 17:26. Saul and the people were more fearful for their own lives than for God’s honor. They were cowards and afraid, and they drew back from God’s grace. David came, and by God’s grace he commended himself as a servant of God—as the actual king.

You have prayed for grace, and you have been in many different situations that have revealed who you are. Your family, your fellow employees, and the brothers and sisters in the church have seen you. In what light have they seen you?