He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
It’s no secret that Cameron and I love watching The Chosen. The other day, I was pondering both Marys in the series.
One is Mary Magdalene, and right from the start, we learn about her questionable past and the fact that she is a prostitute. The other is Eema Mary, the mother of Jesus. Of her, we know that she was a god-fearing, devout girl, still a virgin when she had Jesus.
What a contrast.
And yet both women needed Jesus. BOTH needed a Saviour because both were sinners. It took the same amount of grace to save both of them!
Salvation is not a narrow invitation. It reflects the wide heart of God.
Peter writes:
The Lord is … patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9 NIV
That’s God’s heart. He desires rescue. He desires restoration. He desires a relationship.
I was raised in a Christian home, so I was very young when I first placed my faith in Jesus. But after that moment, I still had a long way to go. I wandered, I questioned, I grew, and my faith matured over time. There were seasons when I was intrigued by what the world had to offer, or when I was trying to find my place in society.
But regardless of the phases I went through, Jesus pursued me. He reminded me, “I saved you. You are Mine.”
I love this quote from William Jay of Bath:
My memory is failing, but there are two things that I will never forget—that I am a great sinner and that Jesus Christ is a great Saviour.
If you’re far from Him today, hear this: He wants you. Salvation is His idea. It’s His initiative. It’s His gift.
And for those of us who believe, heaven will one day echo with one theme: salvation belongs to our God.
The miracle of today is that our life… no matter the story… can be all about JESUS!
Lord Jesus, thank You for pursuing me. Thank You for Your patience and Your love. Use my life to reflect Your heart for others. Help me to share the hope of salvation with courage and compassion. Amen.
