2022-01-21
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Long ago, in MT 25: 31-32, it was written, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” This was Christ’s way of saying that there will be a resurrection of the just and one of the condemned, only He felt His disciples were not ready for the degree of detail later given us in the books of Daniel, Hebrews, and Revelation. HE 12: 1-2, “Therefore, since we are surround by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith, Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Despite Christ’s tears that fateful night in the Garden of Gethsemane, His obedience to God was perfect [LK 22: 42]. God’s plan set in motion so long before described to Moses is spoken of in, HE 12: 18-24. “You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.’ The sigh was so terrifying that Moses said, ‘I am trembling with fear.’ But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the Firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” In vs. 23, the description of the people there “whose names were written in heaven,” are those who are in God’s Book of Life. These are the ones who have earned the right to dwell with God there forever. It’s a group to which we aspire to belong.
Which two things in this last passage mean the most to you and why? For me, the answers are found in “whose names are written in heaven” and “The spirits of righteous men made perfect to Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant.” Of course, the word “men” in this also refers to women. Having one’s name “written in heaven” or said alternatively, “written in God’s Book of Life,” denotes a human spirit that has been transformed by God’s agape shined on it from being human-led and self-centered to being led by the Holy Spirit and with a life of balanced self-care and care of others. The Spirit really does speak to us and try to lead us away from sin. Our God is color blind, meaning He doesn’t favor one ethnicity over another or use any human criteria for selecting favorites. We are all judged on the same standards, God’s standards. While God doesn’t promise our earthly lives will be like rose gardens, He certainly tries to perfect each individual human. Some of us disappoint Him and others don’t. We are given the choice as to how we react to the love He shows us. Because of Christ’s obedience, the New Covenant shows believers that each of us can gain eternal life. It promises the faithfully obedient salvation [JN 3: 16], justification [RO 4: 3], and eternal forgiveness [1 JN 1: 9].
PRAYER: O Lord, we are so blessed to have this opportunity to be awarded the crown of eternal life for being faithfully obedient to You. Each day, we are challenged to remain faithful despite our sinful nature. However, 1 COR 10: 13 is truly reality. “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide you a way out so that you can stand up under it.” That way out is through Jesus Christ! The latter is a gift to us, so that we can follow His teaching and find the narrow, rocky path to take that leads to eternal life. Overcoming temptations isn’t easy. It’s like being on a diet at the Thanksgiving table. People are eating things the obese person shouldn’t have, and that person must remain on a strict diet. It is only Christ Who strengthens us. However, we are told what is in PHIL 4: 13, “I can do everything through Christ, Who strengthens me.” This is one more demonstration of agape directly from our Deity. Thanks and praise to You, O God, in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: Just as we have those whose names are inscribed in God’s Book of Life, there are those who are inscribed in his Book of Death. This will be the subject of next week’s message. I would like to believe that such a fateful decision is not made easily or at the eleventh hour. Any wisdom I have does not extend to judging others [MT 7: 1-2]. I do believe that God’s love is deep enough that He uses extreme wisdom in selecting the perfect time and way to make such a decision. We look for understanding of the criteria which is used in making it, so that we will never consider God cruel, evil, or unfair. In the meanwhile, we all should be in an attitude of prayer that someone we think is being negatively judged by Him will wake up to the need to rely on the Holy Spirit before it is too late. Prayer is powerful and if anything will change God’s mind, it is prayer. We are so very blessed that our God never makes a decision that isn’t in our best eternal interests. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2021. All Rights Reserved.
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