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John 6:37

³⁷"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."

The previous passage told us that if we come to Jesus, He will be sufficient for our spiritual hunger and thirst. In our verse for today, Jesus promises that whoever comes to Him, He will never turn away. You can't be too bad for Jesus. He'll receive whoever comes. He loves you right where you are, but He loves you so much He won't leave you where you are. He'll begin to transform you. That is a process that takes time. Immediately upon coming to Jesus, your sins are covered and God sees you as if you'd never sinned. You will keep sinning, perhaps not intentionally, but nevertheless, you aren't the finished product yet.

If you sin a little too much, will Jesus give up on you as a hopeless case? I believe the word "never" here in this verse means never in all eternity. My earthly father used to stress that it was important for me to finish what I started by cleaning up after myself. Do you think God is any less capable of finishing the work He began in us (Philippians 1:6)? If I say that I am too difficult for God, I'm denying His unlimited capabilities and power. We must cling to the promise that He will never cast us out, then get back up and gratefully try again to walk as He walked by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The apostle Paul predicted that some would see this lavish grace of God and say, "Why not sin so grace might abound?" (Romans 6:1). But a heart that has come to Jesus and received His love and grace longs to be free of sin. While temptations may entice us and even trick us, the love of Christ convicts us and continually calls us to walk closer to Jesus' side. We look at the cross and remember that great display of love. We repent. Jesus picks us back up, and we begin again with renewed love and desire to be completely His.

Remember: Don't give up when you stumble. Receive the conviction and grace. Love Jesus even more because of it, and fight on!