Failure not Final!

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"The righteous may trip seven times, but each time they will rise again" (Prov 24:16)

In His encounter with Jacob, God told him, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel" (Gen 32:28). But the Bible continued to call him Jacob (e.g. Gen 33:1). Our "old nature" is not eradicated from us. We have to live with our "old man" all our life. No one but Paul was frank and honest enough to acknowledge this fact: "I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't... If I am doing what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it" (Rom 7:18-20). He found out that victory over sin is only by "considering" constantly that we are dead to sin, and giving preference to the new man in us to make choices (Rom 6:11). In this lifelong warfare, there need not be but there might be occasions when the new man would lose to the old man. We must not retreat in discouragement. It is concerning the "righteous" it is said, "They may trip seven times, but each time they will rise again" (Prov 24:16).

Many Christians are living under "condemnation" because of repeated failures in their lives. The Bible asserts, "There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:1). The Holy Spirit never "condemns" God's people. He just "convicts" them. Judas Iscariot accepted "condemnation" and that led to awful destruction. On the other hand, Simon Peter came under "conviction" which led to awesome restoration. Judas betrayed Christ only once whereas Peter denied Him thrice! Peter learnt the all-important lesson that only by patiently trying again and again one can grow in godliness. This he wrote in his second Epistle (2 Pet 1:6).

Because God is patient towards us, especially in our failures, we must persevere in our efforts to live holy. It is the goodness of God, even His tolerance and patience, that motivates us to keep on repenting (Rom 2:4). We fear God because He abundantly forgives (Psa 130:4). Christ is tirelessly interceding for us from the right hand of His Father and that's why we must resist temptation to sin (1 Jn 2:1). God is the Potter and we are the clay. We are still in the making. He has not finished with us yet. When God Himself is so patient with us in shaping our character, how can we become impatient with ourselves and quit trying? For a child of God, no failure is final!

Faint, yet pursuing, we press our way
Up to the glorious gates of day! (Mrs. W.R. Griswold)

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