The Power of Receiving

As Christians, we must obey, serve, teach, and remain faithful. But a person cannot teach what he has never received, refuse what he has never accepted, and welcome what he has never entertained.

To accept Jesus, we must first receive him as God’s Son.  This requires accepting his authority, as he has been given “all” authority (Matthew 28:18).  After all, Jesus is the only one with authority to secure our salvation (Acts 4:12). Additionally, we must accept his will. Accepting Christ’s will requires submission.

To accept Jesus, we must welcome God’s Word in our hearts. There is a huge difference between saying we know His commandments and doing them (Luke 6:46). In 1 Thessalonians 4:1, Paul remarks to the church, “you welcomed” the effective word of God. Once welcomed into our hearts, Christians are encouraged to “continue the walk” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

To accept Jesus, we must hold onto God’s grace. Regardless of the situation we find ourselves in, we can trust God that His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). Can a Christian refuse God’s grace? The Bible makes it clear that an individual can. We must not refuse God’s unmerited favor.  By doing so, we forfeit God’s Son as our Savior (John 1:12).  We also forfeit God’s mercy (2 Corinthians 4:1).

We can rely upon the fact that God’s grace always has purpose. Whether it is to preserve us, supply us, sustain us, or guide us, God’s grace only works upon the hearts which receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.