Grace and Protection
In a recent sermon, my pastor used this quote to introduce the message: "The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you." As it was displayed, red flags went up in my head Not because I don't believe it's true. I do. What concerns me is that this type of thinking is often misinterpreted.
My concern comes from the word "protect." For too many, we equate the word with safety and freedom from harm. That isn't always the case. Doing God's will and staying safe don't always equate, even in the Bible. Isaiah was a prophet whom God used mightily. His prophesied extensively about God's coming Messiah. Isaiah did God's will, yet tradition tells us that he was sawn in half. Jeremiah the prophet did God's will by proclaiming the truth to kings and he got thrown into a cistern for his obedience. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, told God's truth to the religious leaders and he was stoned to death. Paul, the writer of much of the New Testament, followed God's will in spreading the gospel. He was beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, flogged, stoned, and ultimately beheaded. All but one of the apostles is reported to have died a violent death as a result of their obedience to God's will. Hebrews chapter 11 speaks of the fate of many who followed God's will and were afflicted or killed in the process.
In recent memory, I am reminded of Jim Eliot and his team who were killed by tribesmen in the Amazon while making contact in order to share the good news of Christ. These men were speared to death and left in the river. Were they doing God's will? Absolutely. And, while being in the will of God did not keep them safe, their deaths ultimately led to a mass turning of the tribesmen to Christ.
A lady I know in another country was subjected to months of isolation, mental and physical torture, and a constant barrage of recorded religious teachings in a "re-education" camp because she chose to leave her birth religion and follow Jesus. She was sent to the camp by her family.
Recently, we have viewed the beheading of Christians by ISIS who, when given the choice to turn away from Christ, chose instead to die. These are just a few of the many believers around the world who suffer daily as they choose to do God's will.
Does death and harm mean that God has left us? Not necessarily. It may mean that we are right where we need to be. Paul said in his letter to the Philippians, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Either way, we are with God or we are leading others to Him.
If we are in God's will, we may not be safe. In fact, we may very well be in real danger. But we can rest assured that God is in the middle of harm's way. Jeremiah, Isaiah, and the apostles chose to live their lives knowing that pain and death were very real possibilities. Jim Eliot was remembered for this quote, made years before he gave his life, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Christians around the world today pray, go to worship, and share their faith with the constant knowledge that persecution, physical harm, and death may be right around the corner. They stand in the understanding that doing God's will is greater than any harm that might befall them. They abide in the knowledge that they will one day stand before God and hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."
Sadly, that is not often the case here in America. I have had too many people tell me that they would not go on the mission field because it is too dangerous. They turn away from ministry to the homeless, the poor, the hurting, because it would take them to unsafe parts of town or be too inconvenient. They won't share their faith with someone from another religion because it is scary. In this country, we are becoming what C.T. Studd called"Chocolate Christians" who melt at any difficulty. This shows a lack of faith in God. The sad thing is, His will is going to be done and you won't get to be a part of it.
The other side of the coin is that God often does protect His people and keep them from harm, especially when they are doing His will. The stories abound in the Scriptures and the church since then that relay this truth.
If you are in the center of God's will, He will protect you. But, that "protection" may not always look like you think it should. It may come disguised as danger. The truth is, if you are God's child through faith in Jesus Christ, His grace will bring you to him forever. I would rather go there knowing that I am in the middle of His will, no matter the consequence.
(I'll admit that I have been and often am that person who fears trusting God's will because of potential harm. This is written as much for me as anyone else.)
My concern comes from the word "protect." For too many, we equate the word with safety and freedom from harm. That isn't always the case. Doing God's will and staying safe don't always equate, even in the Bible. Isaiah was a prophet whom God used mightily. His prophesied extensively about God's coming Messiah. Isaiah did God's will, yet tradition tells us that he was sawn in half. Jeremiah the prophet did God's will by proclaiming the truth to kings and he got thrown into a cistern for his obedience. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, told God's truth to the religious leaders and he was stoned to death. Paul, the writer of much of the New Testament, followed God's will in spreading the gospel. He was beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, flogged, stoned, and ultimately beheaded. All but one of the apostles is reported to have died a violent death as a result of their obedience to God's will. Hebrews chapter 11 speaks of the fate of many who followed God's will and were afflicted or killed in the process.
In recent memory, I am reminded of Jim Eliot and his team who were killed by tribesmen in the Amazon while making contact in order to share the good news of Christ. These men were speared to death and left in the river. Were they doing God's will? Absolutely. And, while being in the will of God did not keep them safe, their deaths ultimately led to a mass turning of the tribesmen to Christ.
A lady I know in another country was subjected to months of isolation, mental and physical torture, and a constant barrage of recorded religious teachings in a "re-education" camp because she chose to leave her birth religion and follow Jesus. She was sent to the camp by her family.
Recently, we have viewed the beheading of Christians by ISIS who, when given the choice to turn away from Christ, chose instead to die. These are just a few of the many believers around the world who suffer daily as they choose to do God's will.
Does death and harm mean that God has left us? Not necessarily. It may mean that we are right where we need to be. Paul said in his letter to the Philippians, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Either way, we are with God or we are leading others to Him.
If we are in God's will, we may not be safe. In fact, we may very well be in real danger. But we can rest assured that God is in the middle of harm's way. Jeremiah, Isaiah, and the apostles chose to live their lives knowing that pain and death were very real possibilities. Jim Eliot was remembered for this quote, made years before he gave his life, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Christians around the world today pray, go to worship, and share their faith with the constant knowledge that persecution, physical harm, and death may be right around the corner. They stand in the understanding that doing God's will is greater than any harm that might befall them. They abide in the knowledge that they will one day stand before God and hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."
Sadly, that is not often the case here in America. I have had too many people tell me that they would not go on the mission field because it is too dangerous. They turn away from ministry to the homeless, the poor, the hurting, because it would take them to unsafe parts of town or be too inconvenient. They won't share their faith with someone from another religion because it is scary. In this country, we are becoming what C.T. Studd called"Chocolate Christians" who melt at any difficulty. This shows a lack of faith in God. The sad thing is, His will is going to be done and you won't get to be a part of it.
The other side of the coin is that God often does protect His people and keep them from harm, especially when they are doing His will. The stories abound in the Scriptures and the church since then that relay this truth.
If you are in the center of God's will, He will protect you. But, that "protection" may not always look like you think it should. It may come disguised as danger. The truth is, if you are God's child through faith in Jesus Christ, His grace will bring you to him forever. I would rather go there knowing that I am in the middle of His will, no matter the consequence.
(I'll admit that I have been and often am that person who fears trusting God's will because of potential harm. This is written as much for me as anyone else.)
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