When the Lord Jesus walked on the earth, He said, "I am the Resurrection, and the Life: he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Believe thou this?" (John 11:25-26)
It is a simple question which Jesus asks -- "Believe thou this?" Do you believe that Jesus is the Lord of glory? Do you believe that this same Lord Jesus is the resurrection and the life, the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending? Do we truly believe that the risen Jesus is now King of kings and Lord of lords? And do we fully understand that His righteousness cleanses us from all sin and guilt and shame?
As the scriptures state, God in Christ Jesus gave His own humanity so that we can have life more abundantly. To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them but rather, having committed unto us the Word of Reconciliation because He hath made Him to be sin for us -- He who knew no sin. (II Corinthians 5:19-21)
Indeed, on the cross, the Word made flesh -- God manifest in the flesh -- His Name JESUS in this current dispensation of grace paid the ultimate price once and for all. His blood shed on the cross so that we might have life more abundantly. The Great Shepherd laying down His life for His sheep. And because of His kindness and mercy, God our Saviour toward man appeared.
However, too often, we tend to listen to the voices around us rather than trusting the Lord God and our blessed Saviour Jesus the Christ by faith for all things day to day, and that hinders us from receiving the many blessings that the Lord Jesus wants to bestow upon us. This needs to change if we are to become that city on a hill that shines brightly for Jesus, and His love for each and every one of us. And since we who believe in the Lord Jesus by faith can also attest to the salvation that leads to everlasting life ... the peace that comes from Him that is so life-giving, we know the answer for the chaos in the world.
His Name is JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21-23)
Therefore, we should always be confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord -- for we walk by faith and not sight. So when we labour, it is so that we are accepted of Him who so willingly shed His holy blood so that we would have life everlasting in Him.
In the scriptures, apostle Paul takes this perspective even further when he writes to the believers in Corinth.
"We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain -- (For He saith, "I have heard Thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured Thee; behold, now is the accepted time: behold, now is the day of salvation.") -- giving no offence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed: but in all [things] approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in tastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the Word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report as deceivers and yet true; as unknown and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." (II Corinthians 6:1-10)
In a world that is continually trying to steal our joy, let's meditate upon these things because our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ only wants the best for His people. And His desire is to be a Father unto us, and we His sons and daughters, as saith the Lord Almighty. (II Corinthians 6:18)
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [His] purpose." (Romans 8:28)
God hath said, "I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their God and they shall be My people." (II Corinthians 6:16; I Corinthians 3:16-17; I Corinthians 6:19; Leviticus 26:12; Jeremiah 31:33; Jeremiah 32:38; Ezekiel 37:26-27)
This is our hope every day, that His love for us is everlasting. Stand in the offering plate.
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