Perverting God's Grace

TEXT: Jude 1:4 (NIV).

"For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord."

CHOSEN BY GRACE

Aaron and his lineage were honoured by God, who by his grace, choose them as priests over his people. Eli was priest in the days of the Judges in Israel. His children Hophni and Phinehas assisted him. Young Samuel was serving as an apprentice. The two sons of Eli however chose to pervert the grace of God and turned it into a licence to commit immorality and wickedness in the land.

"Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the LORD or for their duties as priests...So the sin of these young men was very serious in the LORD’s sight, for they treated the LORD’s offerings with contempt."

(1 Sam 2:12-13a 17 NLT).

God had to rescind his promise to their lineage because of the disgraceful acts of these two men. Inspite of the warning of Eli, their father; they continued in the path of sin.

"Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle. Eli said to them, I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the LORD’s people are not good. If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede?” But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father, for the LORD was already planning to put them to death"

(1 Sam 2:22-25). The sons of Eli did not understand that they were chosen by grace. It is grace that has placed us where we are today, despising that grace is tantamount to rejecting the Lordship of Christ.

PERVERTING GOD'S GRACE

God's grace is available to everyone. t is the free and unmerited favour of God as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowing of blessings.

Titus 2:11 says: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men."

Paul acknowledged this grace upon his life when he declared: "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain..." (1 Cor 15:10). You will not frustrate God's grace in your life. The grace of God will not be in vain in your life in Jesus name.

The sons of Eli were disdainful of the grace of God. Many people today have no regard for God's grace. Christians and non Christians alike pervert the grace of God like Eli's sons. There are grave consequences for those who spurn, despise, frustrate and pervert God's grace.

"He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" (Heb 10:28-29).

Don't be among those who despise the grace of God and count as nothing the sacrifice of the blood of Jesus for their salvation. The spirit of grace is now poured out for all men to profit from, don't let it be wasted in your life (Zech 12:10).

GRAVE CONSEQUENCES

The sons of Eli and their lineage were cut off from their priestly duties, both of them died on the same day and their offsprings were dealt a very terrible future.

"Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me. The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age. You will watch with envy as I pour out prosperity on the people of Israel. But no members of your family will ever live out their days.The few not cut off from serving at my altar will survive, but only so their eyes can go blind and their hearts break, and their children will die a violent death" (1 Sam 30-33 NLT).

GRACE - God's Riches At Christ Expense, should not be taken for granted. Those who pervert the free and unmerited favour of God will ultimately be separated from God because they rejected their only hope of salvation (Acts 4:22).