NONE SHOULD PERISH

Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. Matthew 18:14

REFERENCE
Matthew 18:11-14

One of Satan’s tricks against believers is to use guilt and condemnation to keep them in a prison of fear and shame, thereby making them shrink from having an intimate relationship with God. He will lie to a believer who is struggling with a moral weakness that he is not good enough to serve or come close to God because God is disgusted with him. Such a believer then stays away from God, deceived to think that he will get back into fellowship with God after he cleans up his act. But you know, that rarely happens.

Unfortunately, however, many move from this state to a state of backsliding and eventual apostasy from the faith. They unwittingly fall prey to the voice that tells them that God is angry with them, does not want them around, and is ready to strike them with lightning should they attempt to come before Him, because He is a consuming fire. Lies!!!

While God hates sin, He loves sinners; He sent His only Son to die for the sin of mankind (John 3:16-17). He wants you to remain in the faith even in your weak moments and wants you to dust yourself up and return back to Him when you commit a blunder. It is heaven’s loss if you fall away from the faith; God did not wash you with the blood of Jesus only for you to end up in hell, NO!

God is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. Proverbs 19:11 tells us that, “It is the glory of a man to overlook a transgression…” If God expects us to do that with one another, how much more would He do that for us? God is not in heaven with a whip, looking and waiting for you to slip, so that ‘crack,’ the whip comes down on you.

Don’t let Satan paint a picture of a mean, wicked, unpredictable, and temperamental God to you; that will be anti-scripture. God is slow to anger and always willing to forgive if we quickly repent and turn back to Him. This is not a license to sin; it is to say that we have a loving God who wants you to ‘make it’ and who makes room for you to repent and to gain victory over sin. (Romans 2:4)

God, like a good shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to go after the one, will do everything to keep you from falling into sin or falling away. What shall your falling away profit Him? Jesus already made a down payment for your redemption. It will be His joy to come back to take you to be with Him forever. He loves you with an undying, extravagant, and superabounding love.

Be rest assured, God is rooting for you. It is not the Father’s will that you perish; that will be a big loss to His Kingdom. Today, He is calling you to come boldly to His throne of grace and receive mercy in your time of need; His Spirit is available to guide you into holiness and to help you crucify your flesh when temptation comes. Will you surrender to Him?

SCRIPTURE PHOTO

ADDITIONAL STUDY
Luke 15:11-24, I John 1:9, & Hebrews 4:15-16

TO DO

Reflect on your relationship with God and ask for His forgiveness where you have strayed.

Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to continue to live a Spirit controlled life.