Sovereign Grace

“Salvation and sanctification are the work of God’s sovereign grace, and our work as His disciples is to disciple others’ lives until they are totally yielded to God. One life totally devoted to God is of more value to Him than one hundred lives which have been simply awakened by His Spirit.”

(Oswald Chambers)

Oswald Chambers brings to light many powerful topics

1. Salvation and sanctification are the works of God. No one has saved anyone. No one has control over who gets saved. Who does or does not get saved (and when) is completely in the hands of God.

2. “…our work as His disciples is to disciple others’ lives…”

What is a disciple? It is more than being a follower of Christ. It is more than adhering to the principles and precepts that Jesus taught, which a disciple does. A disciple lives what he teaches. In a literal sense he practices what he preaches. Part of discipleship is outreach, teaching, and mentoring to others. We as a Christian are to be Christ like and a disciple exemplifies that idea.

A Disciple Spreads the Word

Jesus after being resurrected gave us all a commandment. Jesus said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:14-15)

A Disciple Practices what He Preaches

D.L. Moody said, “Out of 100 men, one will read the Bible, the other 99 will read the Christian.”

James said, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?” (James 2:14).

With God, there is no difference between words and actions. What is said is done. The disciples words and actions must be consistent with that of Jesus Christ.

A disciple follows, adheres, teaches, and acts. Most importantly, a disciple acts from the heart. Rooted in love, these things flow from the spirit according to his own free will.

Devoted To God

Oswald Chambers makes a clear distinction between a “life totally devoted to God” and those “simply awakened by His Spirit”. This is important to understand and yet often very difficult to delineate between the two, because both can appear the same.

God quickens or awakens our spirit.

“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Romans 8:11)

Before the quickening by God we suffer from what’s known as the noetic effects of sin. This is a state of being when we are adversely affected by sin but aren’t really aware of it. We know of sin but not to its full extent. We are blind to our own sinful condition and don’t really realize that all sin is a personal affront to God, that all sin is against God.

Once our spirit has been quickened and the noetic effects of sin are at realized is when we are able to transition from an academic, head knowledge of God to more of a heartfelt, spirit filled knowledge of God.

Now comes the most critical point in everyone’s life. Once our spirit has been awakened, we must make a choice. Are we going to choose God, righteousness, and salvation? Or are we going to choose this world and all that’s in it. In making our choice, we determine heaven or hell. A no decision is a decision in of itself. It seals our destiny in Hell. You can’t carry on business as usual without the eventual consequence of damnation.

Once we choose God, we choose life and become devoted to God. But the quickened spirit that doesn’t choose God will live in torment. They have seen the light, comprehended the light, but have chosen darkness.

Not all experience the quickening. Not all will be saved because not all have been chosen.

Bill Hitchcock