2 Chronicles 12:14 reveals that King Rehoboam sinned against God because he never set his heart on seeking God, but way back in verse 12, when he started to humble down to God, God grants him mercy and shows him grace.
Likewise, a person sins against God because we are detached from His word and we literally stop our heart from seeking God's will and knowing God.
Remember Titus 2 shows us that salvation was equally opened to all people, however not anyone will accept what Jesus is offering to us - life (John 17:3), and it is evident in John 6:60-70 that when Jesus started teaching the truth ( not only giving them physical bread or material things), many people deserted him and what remains are the eleven disciples. Also, John 3:17-18 tells us that those who don't believe the Son, even though he is alive are condemned already. However, 2 Chronicles gives us hope that God is still giving us a chance to go back to our faith, humbled down before Him and turn back from our wicked ways. God never wants anyone to perish so He is calling us today, so let's not harden our hearts.
The above lesson teaches us 2 things:
1. To the Believers and remaining disciples of Christ - do not be disheartened when people do not accept our teaching because it is not our "own" teaching but Christ's. We are also not the giver of life. We are just the voice crying in the wilderness and testifying to the Son of God like John the Baptist (John 1:23). So everytime that people condemns us because we speak the truth, it is Christ that they are detesting and ignoring (John 15). Not us.
2. To the unbelievers - there is still hope for us and God is not closing doors as long us we are still alive on Earth. But ,first, we have to know and acknowledge the truth first, "For we shall know the truth and the truth will set us free (John 8:32)"
What is the truth? "Whosoever commits sin is a slave of sin (John 8:34)" . In fact all of us are sinners. It is clear that "nothing is good in a man" (Romans7 ) because our thoughts are evil. But there is also hope in that because that same chapter says that a person wants to be good, however, he cannot do what is good, for only God is good (Mark 10:18). So because of this reason, all have sinned and fall short from the glory of God (Romans 3:23). But there is another hope, that is - Christ died for our sins to save us from the wrath of God.
Romans 5 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
We know that Christ died for our sins, he was buried then rose again the third day and ascended in the right hand of the throne of God ( 1 Corinthians 15) . The sad truth is we cannot go where Jesus go. Why? Because we will die for our sins (John 8:21). The death here is eternal separation from God because the Bible is also clear that we are eternal beings . We can prove that because even Daniel in his book referred for something that called eternal damnation .
Daniel 12:2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
So, the only solution for us to come to Jesus. Why? Well in another passage Jesus also repeated this same statement that his disciples cannot go where He will go - for a while, because in a little while, they can now be with Him. Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later. (John 13:36)"
Remember the story that only the eleven disciples remained with Jesus after Jesus started teaching the truth? That is the answer. Only if we remain in Jesus and following Jesus teachings that Christ can brings us to God's kingdom because He is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. (John 14:6)
Also, Jesus even tell His disciples the reason why He needs to go first: In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? (John 14:2)
Meaning, Jesus is preparing a place for us in God's kingdom only if we become faithful on following His will.
And part of following that will is surrendering our life to Him.
John 15:1-5 1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Part of surrendering is dying to our self and believing that we are just branches in Christ's tree. We cannot survive alone because we cannot do nothing on our own. So we have to conform to Christ (Romans 8:29) and while we are conforming to Christ, we stop conforming to the world and its sinful desire. And also, do not think of ourselves better than others because we are all equally sinners and deserve judgment.
Romans 12:1-3 1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
However, because of God's grace, we have been save through faith, it is not of our own works, so we cannot boast. Because of that reason, we must be humble enough to render goodness to others as what God through Christ designed us to be (Eph. 2:8-10)
Part of doing goodness is sharing life to people for there is no greater love than sharing life (John 15:13).
And what is that life? - JESUS (John 17:3)
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