Falling
tends to leave one a bit stunned. One moment you are upright, the next you are
down on the ground.
Sometimes
as Christians, we find ourselves on the ground stunned and injured. Perhaps we
are initially stunned by our depravity, having grown proud and forgetful of our
need for grace. Little steps in the wrong direction led to a slick path down a
steep hill. Suddenly our footing gives way and bam, we are down, wondering “how
could this happen?” How true it is that anyone who thinks he stands should take
heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12)
Yet as
believers, our falls do not carry us to the bottom of the hill into God’s unquenchable
wrath. That wrath was poured out on God’s Son in our stead. He takes heed that
we do not totally or finally fall away. “Though he fall, he shall not be cast
headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.” Psalm 37:24. That is stunning grace!
As we
stagger from our fall, injured lambs in the night of sorrow, stunning grace
calms our searing conscience, healing our wounds. Dazzled by God’s love we
rise. Stunned that he died for the least of saints, we cling to our Savior.
In
Psalm 40:2-3 David sings of this dazzling love: “He drew
me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.”
Matthew
Henry’s commentary on this passage is helpful:
It should seem David penned this psalm upon
occasion of his deliverance, by the power and goodness of God, from some great
and pressing trouble, by which he was in danger of being overwhelmed; probably
it was some trouble of mind arising from a sense of sin and of God's
displeasure against him for it; whatever it was, the same Spirit that indited
his praises for that deliverance was in him, at the same time, a Spirit of
prophecy, testifying of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should
follow. (Complete Commentary)
Doubts and fears about the eternal state, are a
horrible pit and miry clay, and have been so to many a dear child of God. There
is power enough in God to help the weakest, and grace enough to help the
unworthiest of all that trust in him. The psalmist waited patiently; he
continued believing, hoping, and praying. This is applicable to Christ. His
agony, in the garden and on the cross, was a horrible pit and miry clay. But
those that wait patiently for God do not wait in vain. Those that have been
under religious melancholy, and by the grace of God have been relieved, may
apply verse 2 very feelingly to themselves; they are brought
up out of a horrible pit. Christ is the Rock on which a poor soul can alone
stand fast. (Concise Commentary)
I have
grown to greatly appreciate confessions and catechisms and their rich
theological expositions drawn from Scripture. The Westminster Confession of
Faith Chapter 17 brings much comfort my soul:
I. They, whom God has accepted in his Beloved, effectually called,
and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from
the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be
eternally saved.
II. This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own
free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from
the free and unchangeable love of God the Father; upon the efficacy of the
merit and intercession of Jesus Christ, the abiding of the Spirit, and of
the seed of God within them, and the nature of the covenant of grace: from
all which arises also the certainty and infallibility thereof.
III. Nevertheless, they may, through the temptations of Satan and
of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect
of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins; and, for a
time, continue therein: whereby they incur God's displeasure, and grieve
his Holy Spirit, come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and
comforts, have their hearts
hardened, and their consciences wounded; hurt and scandalize others, and
bring temporal judgments upon themselves.
God redeems and keeps his people. He draws us out of our sin to himself. Our salvation is the work of his hand. We walk in good works he’s written, from our first cries for mercy to our final breath. We are lambs carried by our Shepherd who never fell, who gave himself up to be slaughtered for our sake. In him, we have eternal life.
In closing, I would like to share a poem and some Scripture.
Hands of death gloved in white
Offer a glass of golden nectar
A crystal voice inquires:
“A cool reprieve, my dear?”
I ponder
Could one sip hurt?
A drink offend?
The glass trembles in my hand
As my conscience whispers
Of the cup Christ drank for me
Sheer bitterness to set me free
I weep
Fallen down, a crumpled heap
Venomed nectar soaks the ground
Lying in the muddy brew, I wonder
Am I a dog returned to vomit?
Ill and frail, I’m gently tended
Grace perfumes my wounds
God spoke
“It is finished”
Standing on the Rock, I sing
Abruptly, the crystal voice sneers:
“You’ve no hope. You fallen fool”
“I fell. I stand. Grace grips me.”
“I can smell your death approaching”
“Christ died-
Do tell of this victorious grave”
Sterling silence echoes
For even
Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves
as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their
deeds. 2 Corinthians 11:14b-15
When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed
his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:30
O death,
where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57
