Even though we speak like this ... The purpose is not to scare the readers to death, but to spur them on. His goal is that the people enjoy the salvation that Christ has won for them. If we take a casual attitude towards salvation we will never enjoy the riches that Christ gained for us, but if we take things seriously then we will. In particular if we take the consequences of falling away seriously, then we will enjoy the security of our salvation all the more, and will not fear falling away.
Verse 10 is yet another example from the Bible that there is no conflict between working hard for God, and salvation by faith. What we do with our lives matters, and it makes a difference to the way He treats us. Yet this in no way means that we earn His love. If you have children consider this. You love them, full stop. Yet the way you treat them, the way you can show your love to them is very much influenced by their behaviour and attitude. If one child is more badly behaved than another, it does not mean you love them less, but the way you interact with them will inevitably be different. So it is with our relationship with God.
So we are to be continually diligent, this will make our hope sure. We are to ensure that we are not lazy. If we want to experience the promises of God, then we need to continue on faith and obedience. When we do this, we will not boast about out works, but rejoice all the more in God's grace.
No comments:
Post a Comment