Highly Esteemed

There was a father and two sons. One son was wild and disobedient towards his father, while the other son held a reverent respect for his father and obeyed him in all he did.

Would it be just to bestow the same blessing on each son alike? No. It would be gracious and merciful, but it would not be just.

Therefore, it is just to give to the one who is obedient, as it is also just to further discipline the one who is not.

The favor of the Lord does not rest on everyone alike. The Lord distributes His favor upon His children as He sees fit according to what they have done.

"'and with you, Lord, is unfailing love'; and, 'You reward everyone according to what they have done.'"

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭62‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How we live cannot determine our salvation. But it can affect some of the blessings we receive.

Abraham’s decision to believe God earned him the gift of God’s righteousness, and by this demonstration of faith, God appointed him the father of many nations.

"What does Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.'"

‭‭Romans‬ ‭4‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

"The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, 'I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.'"

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭22‬:‭15‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Lord took away His favor from Saul, and appointed it unto David, for Saul had disobeyed God, but David was a man after God’s own heart.

"But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command."

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭13‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Joseph obeyed the Lord, even during times of great affliction. So the Lord placed his favor upon him and blessed him in all he did.

"When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned."

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭39‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Daniel was obedient to the Lord, even when faced with certain death. He did not waver at the commands of man, for his heart belonged to the Lord. Because of this, he was "highly esteemed" in Heaven. And his prayers were powerful, for as it is written,

"…the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."

‭‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

"As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed..."

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Lord is our Father, and we are His children. He longs to bless us and He has glorious things prepared for us. Do not block the blessings the Lord has for you because of your disobedience.

Do not serve the Lord out of selfish ambition to be blessed, but pursue Him first because of His righteousness. He will see your faith, and credit it to you as righteousness.

As my mentor told me, "remember, blessings come in all sorts of ways. Even His challenges are blessings when they produce character in our hearts."

On the other hand, our salvation, as it is written, is given to us by God’s grace. For like the first son, we are all undeserving.

What makes salvation a just work of God is that the punishment for our disobedience did not go unserved. This was the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

"and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

‭‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So then, what can we say about these things?

Unlike the Lord’s favor, we know that we cannot earn salvation. For if salvation was attainable through the law, Christ would have died for nothing!

"I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Additionally, we know that we cannot earn our salvation through works, for if salvation was attainable through works, it would no longer be the grace of God that saves us, but our own deeds.

"And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace."

‭‭Romans‬ ‭11‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Rejoice in the grace of our Lord, that through His son He has saved and redeemed us all. May this victory not weaken your will to resist temptation, but rather encourage you to live obediently to the one who has saved you.

"…Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Amen.