Fully Redeemed
Uncle Bud Robinson liked to paint pictures with words, as you’ve seen in this week’s devotions, and I pray that the quotes I’ve shared from him have been a blessing to you. Let me share one more, and it’s another lovely picture: “There is something very peculiar about the grace of God. When a man gets under conviction it is up to his ankles, when he repents it is knee deep, when he exercises a living faith it is up to his loins, when he is converted it is over his head, when he is sanctified he has grace to swim in, and when he is glorified he goes to flying. Well, Glory! Isn’t it grand?”
Uncle Bud is painting a picture here of full salvation. It’s what the book of Hebrews calls salvation to the uttermost. Not just a ‘sort-of’ salvation, but full salvation, complete salvation!
And I love how his words give you this image of somebody going deeper and deeper into the ocean of God’s grace! So the person who is under conviction has got grace up to his ankles. This is what we call prevenient grace – grace at work in your life before you become a Christian. God is drawing you to himself, wooing you in, and you’ve just dipped your toe into the ocean.
Grace at Depths
But when you repent, and turn from a godless life and embrace Jesus as your Saviour and Lord, you are now knee deep in His grace. You’ve left the shore, and you’re wading! This is called justifying grace. It’s a wonderful thing to know yourself loved and saved and forgiven.
But that’s not all that Jesus offers! And sadly many people don’t know this, and so they spend their lives wading in the ocean when they could go further in. Uncle Bud says that the person who exercises living faith now has grace “up to his loins” – or perhaps today you might say you’re now waist-deep in God’s grace when you start to exercise it in your daily life, and rely on His friendship and presence daily.
But there’s more! Because as Uncle Bud says, when you know God’s sanctifying grace, you now have grace over your head and you’re swimming around in grace. Is this your Christian experience, friends? Are you swimming in God’s grace as you live a truly saved and sanctified life of holy love for God and people?
Uncle Bud then says when you are glorified, you’ll be flying. Being glorified means dying and living with God in the heavenly realms. And so in that place, you’ve come out of the pool of grace that worked in your earthly life, and you’re now flying with Jesus and truly living fully.
Dive into Grace
So, to use the words of an old Bee Gees song, how deep is your love? How deeply into the oceans of God’s grace have you gone? Are you still ankle-deep, not convinced? Are you knee-deep, wading around in God’s love? Have you gone deeper into a waist-deep living faith, or are you fully in over your head, sanctified and made holy by His grace?
Don’t get glorified without having enjoyed the full salvation by grace that Jesus offers you in the here and now.
I pray that Uncle Bud’s words have inspired you, and perhaps you’d like to click on the link I put here in the blog post of this devo and find more of his writings, I’m sure they’ll bless you.
