Christians who stray from simple faith in Christ may lose sight of God’s love for them; their minds can become corrupted and they begin to doubt certain teachings in Scripture; they begin to feel distant from Jesus—the intimacy leaves; they may feel unworthy and unqualified; their consciences tend to condemn more; they feel more motivated by religious duty instead of love; in short, we begin to squander God’s blessings and fail to experience God’s perfect purpose for us. That was one of the observations the Apostle Paul made as he wrote about God’s dealings with his own people, the Jews, and God’s dealings with Gentiles. We read this in Romans Ch 11, “Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off.” Of course Paul is not saying people will lose their secure salvation by disobedience. But we can lose many of the blessings God wishes to bestow upon his children. That’s why we seek to remain faithful and obedient to the will of God.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
