Chris' Corner -- Sunday, November 14, 2021
"To take for granted" can mean two things. The first, "to accept without question or objection; to assume something is true and receive it without question." The second," to value too lightly; to fail to properly notice or appreciate something or someone for whom we should be grateful." We find both of these ideas in the realm of salvation.
Too often, people go on day by day without thinking about the condition of their soul before God. They assume everything is fine. After all, they believe in God. Is this enough?
James made a thought-provoking statement (James 2:19–20). "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?" God continues to call out, "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).
The true searcher of truth will always be "making sure" of what they hear. "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). "Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble" (2 Peter 1:10).
Taking the church (our brothers and sisters) for granted is saying they are not appreciated or valued. We often say, "thank" and "think" come from the same root word. If we're not consciously thinking about our brethren, we're not thankful for them. We are taking them for granted. Who is happy about being taken for granted?
We cannot float through life without making an effort to demonstrate our faith. Far too many Christians are comfortable in their lack of involvement. Other than a visit to a worship service, what else do we do to show appreciation and gratitude for being a member of Christ's body? Not only are we commanded to assemble, "...let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works" (Hebrews 10:24). The meaning here is "to consider attentively, fix one's eyes or mind upon." "Provoke" is to incite, stir, encourage, or urge on; stimulate or prompt to action. The subject of that stirring is love and good works.
Taking people and things for granted is wrong. We all are guilty. The remedy; stop and take a few moments in our day to think about our relationship with God, our love for Him and His people, and to count our wonderful blessings.
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