Trusting fully in grace

“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” — Such was the content of the Bible text from 1 Peter 1: 13, which formed the basis of the sermon delivered by Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider on 15 November 2015 in Zwickau. More than 18,000 members took part in this divine service, which was simultaneously translated into Polish and Russian, and broadcast as a video transmission throughout Central Germany, Poland, Belarus, and Slovakia.

Trusting fully in grace

The Chief Apostle began by focusing on the core of the Bible text, namely the words “rest your hope fully upon […] grace”. Translated differently one might say, “With all due diligence, put your trust in grace to the very end.”

• The grace of knowledge: “Jesus is the Son of God, who has died for us, has resurrected, and has gained the victory over hell and death.” To know this is a kind of grace that has not been granted to all human beings. “We place our trust in Jesus Christ. He will win. He will gain the victory!”
• The grace of our election: “We have been permitted to be children of God. We are being prepared for the coming of the Lord by the Apostles. We fully place our trust in this grace. God will also complete the work He has begun in us!”
• The grace of the forgiveness of sins: neither good works nor our faithfulness to the Lord can erase our sins. “Because we put our trust fully in the grace of God, we make every effort to attain it. For this reason, let us continue to improve. For this reason, let us forgive.”
• The grace of full redemption: “Our hope is to have eternal glory, eternal fellowship with God. This will far surpass anything we could ever imagine. It is always worthwhile to remain faithful.”

Applying reason in an appropriate way

“See to it, that your reason does not deter you from following the Lord or from serving Him.” — It was with these words that Chief Apostle Schneider interpreted the statement, “gird up the loins of your mind” from the Bible text. “You need your reason, but see to it that it does not become an obstacle to you.”

“We still live in the time of faith, not of sight,” he explained. “There are certain things that we simply cannot comprehend. We have to believe them. Although reason may call many spiritual things into question, whatever comes from the Spirit must also be grasped with the Spirit.”

Processing things correctly

“What does it mean to be sober?” asked the Chief Apostle, in reference to the rest of the Bible text. “This means we are to process things correctly and act accordingly.” This includes the knowledge that, “as long as the earth exists, there will be war, suffering, misfortune, and injustice. It is not God’s plan to rid the world of these things. He plans to create a completely new world.” And, “those who follow Christ must also battle and carry their crosses. We take the strength we need for this from the Lord.”

But above all, “Spreading the glad tidings of the gospel and letting our light shine is a concern for each and every Christian. And as children of God we also have another message: the Lord is coming soon! Let us be prepared. You have the opportunity to be there too!”