October 14

Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. — Heb 12:28 BSB

Grace is the foundation of the unshakable kingdom. It is all of grace from beginning to end. By grace, we are saved; by grace, we are called; by grace, we are what we are. Therefore, to maintain our clear interest in the unshakable kingdom, we must hold fast to grace. As soon as we let go of grace, we lose our comfort in this kingdom and our sense of our own participation in its heavenly blessings. It is a kingdom of present grace and future glory, entirely built on grace, not on merit; entirely on God's favor, not on the works of the creature. As long as we hold on to grace, we hold on to the kingdom, for the kingdom stands in grace.

But why do we need this exhortation? Isn’t it easy to hold fast to grace? Yes, when nothing is testing it. Most people hold on to grace in their heads, not their hearts. But those who truly partake in the life of God are constantly tempted to let go of grace, whether by the power of the world, the strength of sin, the subtle attacks of the enemy, or the unbelief and despair of their own hearts. We are often tempted to take our eyes off the unshakable kingdom and focus on lesser things, to stand on the unstable ground of the earth beneath us or the Pharisee’s heaven over our heads, losing ourselves in the wreckage of what has been shaken and removed.

The Apostle exhorts us to hold fast to the grace that first gave us a saving interest in the unshakable kingdom, that brought us into an experiential knowledge and possession of it, and by which alone we can maintain a firm hold on it until the end. Whatever you do, no matter how low you may sink or fall, never let go of your firm grasp on grace. It will never be more precious than when held by a dying hand, clung to with expiring breath.