By Harold Vaughan
One of Satan’s favorite weapons is discouragement. He whispers to struggling Christians, “If you were truly saved, you would not battle these thoughts, these temptations, or these failures.”
But the evidence of grace is not perfection—it is life.
When God saves a person, He begins a transforming work. The old desires are challenged, new affections are born, and there is a new hunger for God. The Christian may stumble, but he cannot be comfortable living far from his Father.
The Bible says, “A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench” (Matthew 12:20). There are seasons when the flame of devotion burns low, and the smoke seems to rise more than the light shines. Prayer may feel difficult. Joy may be absent. Victory may seem far away.
Yet smoke is evidence that there is still a fire.
A child of God may be wounded, weary, and weak, but God does not cast away His own. The very grief over sin, the longing to return, the desire to please God, and the sorrow over spiritual coldness are themselves signs that the Spirit of God is still at work.
Grace does not make us sinless in this life, but it does make us different. The Christian life is not measured by sinless perfection but by a new direction.
If your heart still turns toward Christ, if you still hate your sin, if you still cry out for mercy, do not despair. The hand that saved you is the same hand that sustains you.
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