Tag: Be Reconciled

Great Peace!

Psalm 119:165 (NIV)

Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.

Our Verse of the Day brings to light the great impact of having a state of peace within our lives; and it awaits those who obey the righteous instruction of God. Those who love God and obey Him will experience “great peace” in their lives. Indeed, I think all of us want to have this depth of peace with God … and to attain peace in our relationships with one another. Because God has created us as relational creatures, I believe seeking and finding peace is an inner desire within each of us. Peace is defined as a state of tranquility or quiet; a state of security or order; harmony in personal relations; an agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity; and freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions. Can you personally relate to any of these definitions? But in order to have peace in our lives, I believe the first state of peace we must find and embrace is peace with God Himself … for He is the source of all peace. (Cf. Romans 15:33; Cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:16) If we follow His commands, we will not stumble in this experience of life. Having the Law of God, the revealed will of our Creator, gives us knowledge and assurance; and therefore, confidence and great peace. If we want peace in our lives, we need to set our affection on the Word of God … its wisdom and counsel … because it reveals the heart of our Creator.

Psalm 119:161-168 (NIV)

ש Sin and Shin

161 Rulers persecute me without cause, but my heart trembles at your word.
162 I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil.
163 I hate and detest falsehood but I love your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.
165 Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.
166 I wait for your salvation, Lord, and I follow your commands.
167 I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly.
168 I obey your precepts and your statutes, for all my ways are known to you.

Just as God provides us peace through His Word, God has granted us the capacity to experience true peace with Him through His Son, our Lord Jesus! Through His atoning sacrifice for our sin upon the cross, Jesus reconciled us to the Father and brought us peace.  As the Prophet Isaiah foretold of the Messiah: “Surely, He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Cf. Isaiah 53:4-6) So Paul, when writing to the Colossians, expounded on this grace imparted peace through the life and death of Christ Jesus:

Colossians 1:15-23 (NIV)

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross. 21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

So here is the connection: Jesus fulfilled the Law of God! He is the ever living, everlasting Word of God! Yes, in Jesus we receive the great peace of God! Indeed, Jesus is our only source of true peace! I am convinced that none of us will experience peace with God except that we receive the reconciliation He has afforded us through Jesus. Once a person enters into a personal, relationship with God through Christ, the love and peace of God will guard their hearts and minds. (Cf. Philippians 4:7) As Paul assured the Thessalonians, “May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:13) And, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” (Cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:16) Jesus is the Prince of Peace who will fill you with His peace … a peace that surpasses all understanding. He is the Gospel of Peace embodied. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” (Cf. Romans 5:1-2)

As a reminder, let us not lose sight of the purpose for which the Father has granted us peace through His Son. This is our calling in Christ: to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace along with those who call on the Lord our of a pure heart. (Cf. 2 Timothy 2:22) We are to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. (Cf. Titus 3:2). Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. (Cf. Romans 14:19) If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Cf. Romans 12:18) It is clear that peace is requisite for healthy relationships … without which we cannot experience true fellowship, friendship, companionship, or intimacy. Knowing God. Knowing His Law (His Word). Knowing His love for us through His Son, Jesus. These will produce “great peace” in our hearts … a deep, inner peace that empowers us to extend His grace and peace to those around us!

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Peace … I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. ~ John 14:27

Unashamed of the Gospel…

Romans 1:16 (NIV)

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

Our Verse of the Day is a familiar passage, and so many thoughts come to mind about the importance of sharing the Gospel … the Good News about Jesus Christ! Why is this so important? Well, Paul answers that question: “Because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” There are two key points here regarding the Gospel: Power of God and Salvation! The power of God is His Word. He spoke creation into existence! (Cf. Genesis 1) And so, in order for a person to come to faith and receive salvation, the Word of God (the message about Jesus) must be heard and understood. For Jesus IS the incarnate Word of God! (Cf. John 1:1-5; 14)

Paul wrote: “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Cf. Romans 10:17) And what is the word about Christ?  What is the core message about Christ?

John 3:16-18 (NIV)

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

1 John 4:9-10 (NIV)

This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

John 3:31-36 (NIV)

The One who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The One who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what He has seen and heard, but no one accepts His testimony. Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for He gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

Romans 3:21-25 (NIV)

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood—to be received by faith.

There are a multitude of Scriptures that emphasize the salvific power of the Word of God; but we can see with just these few I have shared that our atonement can only be received through Christ Jesus – the Son of God! Life, eternal life, is given to us as we hear His words, listen to them, and apply them to our hearts. And I love this pronouncement from God through the Prophet Isaiah: “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Cf. Isaiah 55:11) Indeed, God has ordained that His Word … His Son … shall bring forth salvation. As Jesus affirmed: “I know that His command leads to eternal life. So, whatever I say is just what the Father has told me say.” (Cf. John 12:50) This is why sharing the Gospel is so important … so that unbelievers can come to a knowledge of the truth and place their faith in Jesus Christ.

Proclaiming the message of Christ (a message that permeates both Old and New Testaments) is imperative if people are to know the truth and respond to it!  Against great opposition, trial, and persecution, Paul was determined to persevere in the preaching of the Gospel. And it is quite evident from the record of his life that Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel, its message, or its power to transform the human heart. God does not want His people in rebellion against Him; rather, He desires peace, reverence, and oneness in His relationship with us. Sharing the Gospel is the telling of God’s message of forgiveness and reconciliation through His Son, Jesus the Christ! The Gospel is not a human invention or imagination because the compassion and unfailing love of God has been revealed from Genesis through Revelation through His Word. As Paul asserted in Romans 1:17, “For in the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last (from faith to faith), just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Citing Habakkuk 2:4)

As Paul and the other apostles and disciples experienced, sharing the Gospel can become quite wearisome. Although we have been called in Christ Jesus to believe in Him and His atoning sacrifice for our sins, putting our faith in action will not be without cost or hardship. Jesus taught: “Whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (Cf. Luke 14:27) Even now, we see that our faith in Jesus has become the impetus of ridicule, scorn, persecution, and ever-increasing hatred in this world. But we should not be surprised…. When Jesus sent out His disciples to minister to “the lost sheep of Israel,” He forewarned, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.” (Read Matthew 10) And Jesus counseled: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (Cf. John 15:18-19)

Despite whatever vitriol or persecution that might come to believers, the Gospel must be shared! This is the call and commission of very born-again, Spirit-filled believer. Our faith should be bold, courageous, unashamed, undeniable, and unwavering! Indeed, we have been filled and equipped by His indwelling Holy Spirit! “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We are to implore others on Christ’s behalf to be reconciled with God.” (Cf. 2 Corinthians 5:20) And as we see the end of the age approaching, we can enter it with full confidence; for Jesus has already told His disciples what to expect: “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other; and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Cf. Matthew 24:9-14) Even so, come Lord Jesus.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me His prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the Gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. ~ 2 Timothy 1:7-10

No More Condemnation…

John 3:17 (NIV)

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

Our Verse of the Day is perhaps the greatest news we could share with anyone who is struggling with their past failures and feeling unworthy of the redemption and reconciliation Father God has offered to the world through Jesus Christ! Self-condemnation can be a vicious stronghold to break if our concept of a God is one of judgment and wrath alone. To be sure, Scripture reveals both the judgment and wrath of God … but both are reserved for those who reject Christ Jesus and do not place their faith in Him. Indeed, this verse declares the kindness and love of God so that each person is given the opportunity to repent of their sins and failures. Let’s look at this verse in the surrounding context:

John 3:16-21 (NIV)

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

God sent Jesus to be the atonement for the sins of the world. That is the purpose for which God gave Him to us. It is the atonement of His blood that we are to believe and receive … to place our faith in Him and to proclaim His self-sacrifice as all-sufficient to pay our sin debt and to redeem us from the condemnation of sin. Whoever believes in Him is no longer condemned! Believers have been set free … forgiven … released. Believers are no longer under the law of sin (Cf. Romans 7:23-25) … but now abide under the law of liberty! (Cf. James 1:25) So the application here is to believe! Believe the testimony of God regarding His Son whom He sent to be our Savior. “Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? (Cf. Romans 2:4) As the Apostle John expounded: when we reject the testimony of God about His Son, Jesus, we have in essence called God a liar….

1 John 5:9-12 (NIV)

We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which He has given about His Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about His Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

God does not want us to live under the weight of condemnation, but God has made it clear that each human must make their personal decision about Jesus. Believe and receive eternal life OR reject and remain in condemnation. God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Cf. Romans 5:8) A person is not condemned for what they have done … the sin they have committed … or their failure to live up to the moral law God has decreed; rather, a person remains under condemnation for rejection of God’s grace … for refusing the forgiveness and redemption He has offered to us through the death of His Son. Think about it a moment! God willingly sacrificed His One and Only Son for the sin of the world. Jesus is the only atonement God would accept because of His own holiness. The blood of an animal sacrifice is insufficient to purge sin. (Cf. Isaiah 1:11; Isaiah 66:1-4; Hebrews 10)

So, when a person rejects what God has done … what has God ordained for true life in Him … He allows that person to remain in condemnation because they refused to receive the propitiation provided on their behalf. When a person rejects Jesus Christ … they reject the Father as well. (Cf. John 5:22-24; 1 John 2:22-23) It is not a loving God that sends a person to hell; rather, it is a loving God who makes provision for a person to be saved from the condemnation and wrath of sin. That provision is His Son … Jesus!  And this is the message that we who are ambassadors of Christ are called to share.  As Paul asserted: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (Cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17-20)

Romans 8:1-10 (NIV)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set us free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.

Do you know anyone who feels condemned or has fallen into self-condemnation? Share this good news with them! God has made provision to remove all condemnation through Christ Jesus. Let condemnation be replaced with conviction! Yes, let conviction bring confession … so that we agree with God that His Word and righteous decrees are holy and just. Oh, there is hope for the sinner who feels condemned! There is freedom for the captive and the broken-hearted! For the kindness of God is intended to lead us to repentance! God sent His light into the world, and His light has overcome the darkness! (Cf. John 1:5) I pray we will share that light with whosoever will listen; and pray God will grant them the gift of repentance and bring them to a knowledge of the Truth….

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. ~ Romans 5:15-19