08/12/13

Grace is not a blank, signed cheque book of limitless leaflets

Numbers 22:13 - And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you.


Bible tells us, while we were yet sinners the Lord became a sacrifice for our sins by dying on the cross as a man. Even thou He was innocent, without sin yet He paid our price by His death; this is the manifestation of the grace and love of God.

Most people think the grace of God is like a blank cheque with endless number of leaflets which can be used everything it is needed.

Yes the grace of God is like a blank cheque which we use and the price of which is paid by the Lord. But this cheque book is not limitless; there is a limit to the number of leaflets that are there in this book. The interesting fact is the limit varies from person to person. For some we see they fall and fall yet the Lord does not give up on them but then there are people for whom the Lord seems to be very harsh on, even on the first or second fall the Lord comes hard on them like He did on Esau who lost the blessings of Isaac / Abraham for a silly thing like a morsel of meal, that too to a perpetual deceiving and lying person like Jacob.

Today's message gives us an understanding of why the grace of God varies for different people. The Lord shows us this through the life of Balaam. Balaam was a very anointed Man of God (Prophet) of the kind of Moses to whom the Lord spoke on a regular basis. The visions of Balaam give great revelation of the Kingdom of God like in Numbers 24 can only be understood with the book of Revelation.

We read in Numbers 22 when King Balak approached Balaam to curse the Israelites, Balaam inquired of the Lord and the Lord instructed Balaam not to go with them and curse His people for they have His blessing. We see here Balak was persistent, he did not give up, he again and again sent people to convince Balaam to concede to his request. The groups were bigger and more distinguished than the previous. We see Balaam did say no to them but then kept on inquiring of the Lord again and again then the Lord did allow him to go. But then the Lord gets upset on him and has an Angel of the Lord stand in his way.

What is interesting to note is when Balaam inquires of Lord again and again, if he could go to meet Balak, the Lord Himself allowed him but yet the Lord Himself gets anger when he did!

To understand this we need to understand God is never changing. Since ancient the Nature of God has not changed, what He was and He is He will be forever. He is God of purpose and therefore His purpose of Balaam not going was more important than his going. Balaam knew why the Lord did not want him to go and that was the very purpose why Balak was calling him, yet he kept asking the Lord again and again. Then came a time when the Lord allowed him to go. The Lord changed His instruction but not His purpose. Since God knew although Balaam had said no to the incentives offered by Balak yet in his heart he desired it, therefore kept coming back to Him. The Lord tested Balaam by letting him go and got angry when he did so stood before his path as an Angel and even caused his donkey to speak.

Even with His people God does the same. If a person knowing the will of God and still pursues to do his own, God may allow the person his desires, but that does not mean God has changed His mind. The purpose of God still remains the same. The important matter comes here that is, if that purpose harms His people then God will cause a donkey like person to warn this person and if that person still does not abide and still causes harm to His people then God does take account of that person. There are reasons that God allowed Israel to be tested by the team of Balak and Balaam and be killed for failing it. That understanding is for another day.

There is another important fact one should remember. God did not kill or get Balaam killed the moment he gave away the means of causing God's people to be tested, fail and be killed. Balaam did enjoy the fruits of his ill deal for a while but as the Bible says God does keep account of our doings unless we repent to Him. So Balaam too pay for his misdeed after some time and till date it is spoken about and testifies about God.

Understand grace is all the mercy we need to get a job done. The grace of Jesus Christ is for the salvation of man. If the person makes Jesus Christ as Lord, Master and Saviour then abundant grace is available until the person overcomes and is saved. But if that person makes the things of this world his lord and master then the grace reduces or is taken away and then we know what happened to people like Balaam.



[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, we pray your people do not take You or your grace for granted, that they do not do their own things taking your name. That they abide by your purpose and understand You are a God Who does not change and so your Will is more firm than a mountain. We pray for all those who call themselves as your servants and do things according to their desires, that they repent and abide by your Will...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
Numbers 22:4-35

Numbers 24:1-9

Hebrew 12:15-17
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Jude 1:11-13
11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.



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