Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,

— Romans 1:5

in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

2 Thessalonians 1:8

For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

— 1 Peter 4:17

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent,

— Acts 17:30

26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

— Hebrews 10:26-29

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

When we fail to recognize God’s good news as a holy command to be obeyed, we reduce the Gospel to a mere suggestion, minimize the weight of sin, and mistakenly treat discipleship as an optional lifestyle choice. This dangerous compromise strips the cross of its authority, robs God of the glory due to His absolute sovereignty, and leaves the church looking no different than the world.

Even more tragically, this passive view of grace is not a message of salvation, but a false assurance that, without a call to repentance, allows people to claim Christ with their lips while their hearts and actions remain far from Him. It deceives and deludes the unsaved who are spiritually perishing without Christ. It lulls them into a false sense of security, convincing them that all is well with their souls when they are actually blindly led to be separated from a holy God.