March 05, 2011 (the saving power of God)

the saving power of God

“There comes a time when God’s patience runs out
(Rom. 2:4-10; 2 Pet. 3:8-10; Jude 5).
Those living in continual disobedience
must not presume upon God's grace,
falsely assuming that God's kindness
means that He is winking at their sin.
Nor should we take God's forgiveness for granted.
We must not sin willfully,
thinking that by doing so
we are simply giving God another opportunity
to glorify Himself by showing forth His mercy.
As Paul would put it centuries later,
"Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
By no means!" (Rom. 6:2).
To do so is to reveal
by one’s hardened disobedience
that the saving power of God
is not really in one’s life
(see Rom. 6:2b-14).”
- Scott Hafemann