The ancient Israelites gathered at Gilgal for the coronation of Saul as their first king (1 Sam. 11:15). The Lord was not pleased that His people had asked for a king, yet on this occasion, Samuel uttered these words: "The Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people" (12:22). We too are God's "own special people" if we have trusted Jesus as Savior (1 Peter 2:9). He will not forsake us even though He knows we will fail Him. He knows what we are like - sinful, weak, and frail. He knew it before He called us and drew us to Himself. The certainty of our salvation rests not in ourselves but on the character of God (1 John 5:20). He will keep us to the end.
This does not give us an excuse to continue in sin. Paul said, "Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" (Rom. 6:2). Our choices do reflect on God's reputation, our witness in the world, and our fellowship with Him. But God will never reject His people, those who are truly His. The Lord cannot and will not forsake His own (Heb. 13:5). We can rest assured. What God saves, He keeps - for the sake of His great name! Lives rooted in God's unchanging grace can never be uprooted.
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