Salvation Offered and Accepted
Salvation is for all people, as we saw yesterday. Now, how do we receive this salvation?
God has a way of revealing himself to us time and again until we realise it’s Him who’s at work in our lives. He offers salvation, and gives us gracious opportunities to respond to his offer. Listen to what Paul said to Philemon about Onesimus: “Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother.” (Philemon 1:15–16 NIV)
Paul was saying – perhaps God used Onesimus’s running away, to save him! Perhaps this was the only way God was going to work in this man’s life.
Think back on your own life for a moment. Can you see how God used all those little decisions, all those twists and turns to point you to Him? Can you see how everywhere you went, God was there with an outstretched hand? Can you see how even when you were trying to outrun him, he was there reaching for you, offering you salvation?
God's Prevenient Grace
We need to hear this today. Perhaps you’ve had somebody ‘run away’ from you like Onesimus did to Philemon. Not a slave of course, but a child, a sibling, a friend. Maybe you’re dealing with a person who has lost their way, so to speak. Can I remind you that God is with them, reaching out his hand to them? Can I remind you that there is hope for them, even if they can’t see it at this moment? God will keep on knocking at their door and offering Himself to them.
In theological terms, we call this prevenient grace. It’s God’s grace working in our lives before we even know it. God’s gracious outstretched hand to each of us even though we are not yet interested in Him.
Perhaps as you listen to or read this today, you’re realising that God’s hand has been stretched out to you all along. And you’ve been resisting it! Ignoring it! Keeping Him at a distance.
Maybe you even go to church and do the external Christian things, but you’ve never actually taken his hand and received the salvation from your sins that he promised! Well, maybe God has been leading you to this moment, like he clearly used Onesimus’s running away to lead him to Paul.
Accepting God's Offer
But you need to accept his offer. Think of it – Onesimus could’ve said to Paul ‘no thanks. Not for me!’ and gone on his way. But he opened himself up. He heard the truth and took it in. He responded and he was saved.
Will you respond to God today? Will you see that outstretched hand, and take it?
The sad news is that while salvation is offered to all, not all accept it.
But to those who do receive it… everything changes.
