If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus Christ, we have to remember that all noble things are difficult. The Christian life is gloriously difficult, but the difficulty does not make us faint and cave in; it rallies us to overcome. Do I so appreciate the salvation of Jesus Christ that I give my utmost for his highest?
God saves humanity by his sovereign grace through the atonement. He works in us “to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). Our responsibility is to work out our salvation in practical living. If we begin to do what God commands, and to do it on the basis of the redemption, we will discover that we have all the strength and resources we need to succeed. If we fail, it’s because we haven’t practiced; we haven’t developed the habit of obeying God. When a crisis comes along, it reveals our level of preparedness. If we’ve been practicing in our daily life what God has put into us by his Spirit, then in a crisis our own nature will stand alongside the grace of God to support us.
Thank God he does give us difficult things to do! His salvation is a joyous thing, but it is also heroic and holy. It tests us for all we are worth. Jesus is “bringing many sons and daughters to glory” (Hebrews 2:10), and God will not shield us from the requirements of a son or a daughter. God’s grace never produces cowards or weaklings; it produces men and women with a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the noble life of a disciple of Jesus. It is always necessary to make an effort to be noble.
