The Little Book of Encouragement
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This is a story about LOVE. It is a story about God. It is a story about people.
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Listen. Let me tell you …
… of God and us
(To gain the most from this chapter please read Genesis chapters 1-3)
Life with God is a journey. Conversion is a process. God calls us to join him on this journey. Do you hear him knocking at the door? Some of us have heard and responded to his word as his children. And some of you will hear and feel his calling again and again in your lives.
At age ten, I remember one night in Sydney. We lived in a complex of adjoined houses – all long and narrow, with long narrow backyards, opening out into a narrow lane. We were very poor. I lay on my back and gazed at the stars that night and my conversation with God began. I was inspired and enlivened by the majesty, the beauty and the bounty of the magnificent night sky, so full of awe and promise. The Milky Way was so amazingly beautiful, and magical. I understood it all came about, through an act of creation by the source, our Creator. I wanted a relationship with him, and I recalled a passage about facing Jerusalem where Solomon’s Temple was and calling to him. He would hear and answer (I Kings 8:41-48). So I did. I turned toward the direction which I believed Jerusalem to be in and I prayed. I wanted to live a life that pleased him, and I wanted to know Him who had created all such beauty.
He had “knocked on my door” and I had “answered” (Revelation 3:20). He created this desire in me, and I responded, but I am an inconsistent creature and my awareness of God ebbed and flowed with the tides of my life. It would be many years before this calling was to be sealed.
There is a calling. Perhaps you feel it. Perhaps you yearn for it. It is an undefined desire, for what? It is not stemming from hunger, cold, loneliness, sadness or pain. It is a drawing toward God, an awareness of a dimension of your life which also needs stimulation and attention. It is a drive to be something and to share something that you may not have words for, but it is there. God puts it there and then it is up to you and me to acknowledge it, to listen to our hearts and respond. The Bible explains it like this. “I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me” (Romans 10:20).
At creation, God walked in the Garden with the first couple he had created. He had developed this paradise for them to enjoy and thrive in. This tells us the very basis of God’s intention for us. He loved us before he even created us. He had a desire for us even before we were.
He made the world a wonderful welcoming place that would meet all our needs and supply all our desires. He created us to LIVE. And he created us to be with him, to have a relationship with him – to love him and for him to love us. These basic observations about God and his desire for us have never changed.
The most amazing aspect of all creation is how we are created. We were not created to be like beasts or fish or fowl, we were created like God, “in his image” (Genesis 1:27) and likeness. The relationship with God is not one of Master and pet, but a relationship of the mind and heart, with intellect and emotion. We walk with God and talk with God, sharing thoughts and ideas, passion and desire, humour and love. Our relationship with God is real and the offer of that close relationship is ours to claim and accept at any time.
Once you know the creation story, you will know that the pinnacle of this creation was man. That is human beings, in male and female form. This was and is God’s penultimate act and the reason for the foundational milestones of the creation. The light, the land and the sea, the sun, moon and stars, the plants and the little creatures, the fish, the birds, and the beasts, the complex and intricate ecosystems – the whole creation existed for us to birth into and to live in.
God’s will is that we live. This was expressed by Christ. “I am come that you may have life, and that you may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). We have life. Currently it is limited in span, in experience and in fulfilment, but God’s intent is for us to have life abundantly, to live – to really live life to the full. Death is an aberration from God’s purpose for us. It resulted because mankind wandered from the path God intended. Death entered the world. The good news is that Jesus restores us to that original purpose, living with God.
Listen. Let me tell you …
… of relationship
(To gain the most from this chapter please read John Chapters 14-18.)
If you read this, then it is likely you feel that yearning too. If not today, you felt it in the past. If not in the past you will feel it in the future. You will recognize it. God calls us to himself, as a shepherd calls for his sheep, as a farmer calls to his dogs, as a horseman calls to his faithful mount. Even more, God calls to us as his children. “Oh Jerusalem, Oh Jerusalem … How often I would have gathered you as my chicks under my wings, but you would not” (Matthew 23:37).
We are like God, and he created us to have life, abundantly, in a relationship of love with him. This is his work, this is our purpose, and this is the intention of the gospel story of Christ, which is discussed from the beginning.
We can harden our hearts to the knowledge of the creator/creation, and we can harden our hearts against the calling to God, but at the very essence of our being, is a desire to live. We want to live in peace, in joy, in harmony, experiencing all life’s pleasures, knowing in our hearts, we are not accidental, incidental or freaks of nature, but intentional and divinely crafted, magnificent creatures for whom this whole world was designed and built. The world was made as a self-sustaining, regenerating, source of good for generation after generation. It was created to sustain life for billions and billions of people. It was a delightful playground for stimulation and wonder.
We were born to live. We were created for a reason into a purpose-built paradise capable of sustaining us forever. We were created with intent and meaning, not by some selfish and bored deity amusing himself through an endless eternity. We were created to be like him, to live in a relationship of love with him; to be embraced and enveloped in beauty and joy, having all our needs met. Having our intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual needs met by this creation and by this relationship with God and with each other.
That is right. Fulfilment comes from relationship with God and each other. God intended for people to be in companionable relationships with him. He walked and talked with them in the garden. He made the first Human male and declared that it was not good for him to be alone. He made another creature – not male like the first one, not a pair of asexual creatures. He made them male and female. He could have used any means of procreation, but he chose male and female. This highlights two things. That we are designed to reproduce – the world is meant to be populated by these god-like beings. Secondly, that we will live together in communities, propagated by these unions.
I remember a dream I had many years ago. (I do not often recall my dreams, so this was exceptional to me.) I began a journey, alone. I crossed a border. I walked through fields of green; lush and beautiful, but of plain terrain. I was joined by others and I realized this was family. We walked along for many days and eventually came to some rocky outcrops. People lived there. They sheltered us, through wind and storm. I was aware it was a spiritual journey, and I sought an answer. What was the purpose?
When I awoke, I pondered on this. I had started the journey alone. This reflected my initial response to God. It was about my relationship with him – my sense that I was walking an individual walk with God – my belief that it was up to me.
My family joining me, was my developing awareness that love was the key factor underpinning this walk, and we do not undertake this journey with God alone.
Later being sheltered and assisted by the community of people through rugged terrain and storms, gave me a greater awareness that the goal was not just having a successful relationship with God and family, but that, as humans we are interconnected and interdependent and our task is to live in cooperation with others. I understood from the dream that we are to learn to love God and each other within communities. The path to Salvation is not traversed in isolation.
My key points are that we have primarily been created to have a relationship with God, to meet our first spiritual need, but also to live with each other in community, to fulfil our second spiritual need. The physical world meets our physical needs. Our relationships with God and with each other fill our emotional and spiritual needs. We were not created to be alone. We were created to walk and talk with God in a loving and intimate relationship, and we were created to live with each other in loving, intimate communities.
Listen. Let me tell you …
… of the Garden
(To gain most from this chapter, please read Genesis Chapter 3 and Romans Chapter 1.)
The Garden – oh the Garden. It teaches us so much.
Some think of the garden story as a fable, as a way of explaining how we got to be where and how we are today. There is indeed, in this life so much we cannot see and so much we cannot prove. Cynicism and science negate God, because we cannot see him, touch him, measure him or hear him. We deride both God and believers.
Often believers respond to this challenge by referring to faith. Faith is belief in what is not seen and what cannot be touched and measured. But God is real and his reality is seen in everything we see. It is like this. If I look at a house, whether it is a humble shanty or lean-to, or whether it is an elaborate mansion, there is an undeniable fact. Someone was here. Someone made this. Someone with intent and forethought and plans designed this and made it. Any created thing demands a creator. Any watch needs a watchmaker. Every amenity system needs engineers and builders and planners. Even an antique piece of furniture, though the joiner is no longer able to be located, still had a maker. Existence of the physical begs a creator of the physical. This is absolutely undeniable. Faith is not required as part of this equation. Faith is more needed for one to believe that the earth and all in it happened spontaneously. Romans discussed this very thing. It says, “since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20).
One then asks, if God, then where did he come from? Who created him? I do not propose to know this. I only know the superior one, God, created the earth and all that is in it.
Life. Life does not erupt spontaneously. Life is begotten by life. God breathed life into Adam (Genesis 2:7). There is no scientific evidence to the contrary. So at least the creation itself, we must realize came from a living source, which has shared life with us. I call that source God. Intellectuals may argue many points, but these two points satisfy my intellect. Where there is design, one had to develop it and bring it into existence and where there is life, its foundation was in life. There is a source and I call that source, God.
Listen. Let me tell you …
… of Companionship
(To gain the most from this reading, please read Genesis Chapter 2, Mark Chapter 2:27 and Hebrews Chapter 4.)
We were created by an intellectual God for a purpose – to be with him and to enjoy relationships with him and with each other. Fulfilment, contentment, stimulation, harmony, security and fun – all could be realized in the garden of God. We walked and talked with God and death was not part of the picture. He created us and gave us life.
Was this life unconditional or were we given rules to live by? Did we need laws? Were we governed? Who policed man’s behaviour? What influences existed there in the Garden, in paradise? What challenges faced the first couple? Why?
Adam was created on the 6th day of creation week and so was Eve. Eve was a suitable companion for Adam. They were well matched. The creation of Eve marked the end of the 6 days of creation. God ended his work, declaring it was very good. What he had set out to do was accomplished to a level of excellence that even God declared was very good. Everything was as he had planned it.
Then he rested on the 7th day. Not only did he rest on the 7th day, but he “blessed” the day and “made it holy” (Genesis 2:2-3). The 7th day is holy. It is a period of time made holy because the physical creation was complete. Another factor was introduced – the “spiritual” well-being of the people. People need to have time to reflect, to worship, to rest, etc.
The Bible does not declare what actually occurred on the 7th day. Interestingly there is no marker that the 7th day ended. Does this indicate that the spiritual work God started on that day is yet to be completed?
There was a good indication that God was very involved with Adam on the 6th day and that they hung out together and that Eve was created as the final creative act in the daylight hours of the 6th day. There was some communion with God after Eve was made on that day. Adam called her “Woman” after God introduced her to Adam.
As for the 7th day, what happened while God was “resting”? Surely God would not have abandoned them, on their first day of awareness, while he went off and meditated to congratulate himself on a job well done. As the time frame of the Sabbath or 7th day is metered by the rotation of the physical earth, the home of the humans, the declaration by God, that the 7th day is holy, relates to the physical world.
God is holy. He does not need to Sabbath in order to bathe in holiness. He is the source of all sanctification. To make something holy is to set it aside and to sanctify it for use in holy worship, etc. e.g. items set apart for use in the temple.
Now, when God declared the 7th day Holy, it was not about God needing the day off, but for the creation itself – that a day was set apart for his people to participate in worship and holy-communion, with the source of all that is holy. “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). God, the Creator, had invited them to be with him, and gave them some free time, so they could be with him. The Sabbath is a time of Communion with God.
It makes sense that on this first full day of life and consciousness that man and woman spent some real quality time hanging out with God. Perhaps he was giving them a bit of a tour of the garden, introducing them to some of its delights. Perhaps it was their opportunity to get to know him.
Listen. Let me tell you …
… of lost innocence in the garden
(To gain the most from this chapter please read 2 Corinthians Chapter 11:1-4)
Adam and Eve, the humans made like God, were in charge of the living creatures and were required to tend the garden. They had responsibilities for the garden’s upkeep (Genesis 2:15) – to maintain the order; to develop the site; to care for the animals; to keep it clean and habitable for all. There was work to do, but on this day, the seventh day of the creation week, they got to spend time with God, the Source, the Creator. They had an opportunity to get to know him; to learn about their environment and to start their lives in holy relationship and harmony with God.
We are told some things about the Garden. There was every kind of fruit tree. There were two special trees mentioned. One, called the Tree of Life, another, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. It is not called the tree of death, but it is in stark contrast to the Tree of life. Adam and Eve could eat freely of the trees of the Garden, except for this one tree – the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. There was a warning to this – “lest you die”. “You will surely die.” (Genesis 2:17). Should they choose to eat of this fruit, it was a “dead certainty” they would die. Other than eating from this one tree, Adam and Eve were free to eat of any tree. By implication, this included the Tree of Life.
Does this imply that Adam and Eve, as long as they never ate from the forbidden tree, would live perpetually, and if so, what were the implications, if they ate of the Tree of Life? How would not eating of that forbidden tree have enhanced longevity in a world where death did not feature? Perhaps, even though they were perpetually living, they were still “mortal” and could theoretically die, but perhaps the Tree of Life was a reference to eternal, rather than perpetually mortal life – to a life where death would never be possible.
The first conclusion is that Adam and Eve could have lived perpetually without fear of death and with opportunity to live in Holy Communion with God. The story of Genesis therefore implies they had the opportunity to live eternally, should they choose to eat of the Tree of Life, to which they had free access.
The second realization is that in this idyllic setting and this innocent state, evil was not a feature. There was no hurt, harm, suffering, violence, hatred or oppression. Equally, it is possible that there was no opportunity to classify, clarify and experience righteousness and goodness, as personal qualities. Adam and Eve were not in a position to choose good over evil because they were not exposed to these as concepts. One would consider that they knew love, security, joy, beauty and simplicity, but were not in a position to grow and learn and develop righteousness because there was no evil. They could live like this forever, presumably, in this perfectly balanced world.
We can only speculate regarding the “What if’s …” What if they had never reached out for the forbidden fruit? What if only Eve had eaten of it? What if Adam and Eve had eternally resisted it, would it be inevitable that one of their offspring would be tempted?
It seems natural to assume that eventually someone will have eaten the forbidden fruit. By eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil, the first couple introduced and accepted evil into the world. This is why we know that God, who created us to live in communion with himself, would have a “Plan B” – a plan to bring all his purpose for mankind to realization.
This paper proposes that before Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, God had a plan. He created us in love. We were made like him, in his image. He desired to be with us. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to eternal life (Luke 13:5, John 3:16, 1 John 4:9, 2 Peter 3:9). “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” By analysing these verses, one sees that by God’s decree, when a human continues to live and participate in evil practices, he or she cannot hope to live, but only to die or perish. Likewise, we understand God’s desire and will is for us to LIVE. Luke 13:5 shows we must repent (stop doing what is evil) if we hope to enter into true life.
It may be argued that God intended for man to eat of the tree in order to develop opportunity for spiritual awareness of good over evil, to provide opportunity to choose good; to provide opportunity to learn righteousness and what it means to be holy; to choose God’s way of good over the seductive deceit of evil. Perhaps it was God’s intent, but this is not overt in the Bible’s account. And one must always be careful not to believe or promote what is not supported in the scriptures.
God is not a trickster. He said, “Do not eat” of that tree. God has always allowed us the liberty of choice, but his heart desires for us to make choices that lead to LIFE. Sadly, Adam followed Eve’s lead, and she and he, led or misled by the serpent, ate of the forbidden tree. They were doomed to die and God’s intent for them was apparently thwarted.
Adam and Eve would die. Adam and Eve introduced evil into the world (Genesis 3:22). Adam and Eve gained new awareness now of what is good and what is evil. They introduced the seeds for lies, deceit, dishonesty, oppression, greed, lust, pride, harm, violence and death to take root in paradise. Aside from natural disasters, mankind (ourselves) is responsible for the pain, heartache and suffering which we experience in this world.
However, with evil entering the world, it provided an opportunity for evil to be overcome by good. As individuals we participate in this battle and ultimate victory.
Listen. Let me tell you …
… of hope to come
(To gain the most from this chapter please compare Genesis Chapters 1-3 with Revelation Chapters 20-22)
In innocence, Adam and Eve could commune with God, but after eating from the forbidden tree, they were doomed to death. In innocence, they were unaware and naked, but when awareness entered, they felt shamed and hid from God. The people hid from God.
Humans put up a barrier between themselves and God.
What changed? Did eating of the fruit give them visions of the world to come? How did they know they were naked and why did they now wish to be covered? Something changed in their minds and they became ashamed. Perhaps they conceived of the sharp contrast between goodness and evil and were overcome that they had introduced evil into utopia.
God set out to set things right. God promised that one of their offspring would overcome the serpent on their behalf (Genesis 3:15). It is said that God slaughtered animals as a sacrifice and clothed the couple with skins (Genesis 3:21). The shed blood of this slain beast pointed to Christ. The skin covered their sin and shame, (in the same way that Christ’s shed blood covers the believer’s sins). This account is symbolic of the work of Christ, “the lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). The “lamb” or other beast killed in the garden in order to cover their shame was a substitute for their own lives. God spared them at that time, but mortality was served on every human being. In order to truly live as God intended, we needed a Champion to overcome the “serpent” and to restore us to life!
Adam and Eve were banned from the garden, banned from reaching out to the Tree of Life and they were now separated from God. The very ground from which they would gain sustenance was cursed. Adam and Eve were banished, and children and childbirth would cause pain. The serpent became our enemy until he was to be overcome by the woman’s offspring. A sacrificial beast was slaughtered, and the people’s nakedness and shame were covered. No wonder God cried out “What is this that you have done?” (Gen 3:13).
The Second Son
Oh my son, what have you done?
You have been brought to shame.
Through you the law opens its jaws,
To death and sin and blame.
.
Now we’re undone, now you can’t come,
To eat the Tree of Life.
And all your sons will carry on,
Your legacy of strife.
.
And every child born free or wild,
Will feel heartache and pain.
Be good or bad, happy or sad,
All by law is slain.
.
Take your wife – start your life,
Through hardship you’ll be fed.
It cannot be to eat the Tree
Of Life, now you are dead.
.
Go my dear. Get out of here.
An angel bars the way.
Yet know – a Son, who is to come…
Sins penalty will pay.
.
Oh my son, what have you done,
Now of the tree you’ve eaten?
By Serpent’s lie, you all will die,
But we cannot be beaten.
.
To you I give, so you will live-
The promise of Him to come.
We all await a later date,
When death is overcome.
.
He’ll freely give (so you can live)
His life, nailed to that tree.
And free from pain you’ll live again.
And free from sin you’ll be.
.
Wrought from above, the way of Love,
He will to you impart.
Then you will know I love you so,
And heal your broken heart.
.
Millennia have passed and mankind has lived out this pattern of good and evil, which the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil represented. Indeed, Eve’s two first children epitomised that fruit’s conflicting and contradictory “enlightenment”. One was righteous and one evil. Given what Adam and Eve had experienced in the Garden, Cain somehow did not appreciate the significance of animal sacrifice which portrays the coming Saviour. In jealousy he killed his brother because Abel did have this understanding and accepted this principle and offered animal sacrifices in his worship of God. Thus, Abel was favoured by God and his sacrificial offering was accepted. Cain, who refused to repent, was jealous of the relationship Able had forged with God and in rage killed his innocent brother (Genesis 4:2-12).
This blueprint of life is stamped on us all. Each of us allows evil into our hearts at times and we all need our Saviour to cover our sins. All of us are stamped with good and with evil and some epitomise good, and some epitomise evil. We all do, however, need Christ, the Saviour, if we are to be redeemed and returned to the bosom of God. “Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name in all the earth…by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Christ is the “woman’s offspring” who was to overcome the Serpent, (Genesis 3:15) the Evil one. Christ is also the lamb, slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). And Christ is the sacrificial substitute for us. He died for our sins, so we may live. And Christ is the ONE path that leads us back to God (John 14:6).
Do you feel the pull? Do you hear the calling? God talks to us at a very deep level where words are undefined. God speaks to us through our basic need, that for which we are created, to live and to be in communion with him.
We each are Adam and Eve. We each harbour thoughts and intents that result in sin. We all fall short of the Glory and holiness of God (Romans 3:23). It is for this reason, Christ came to restore us to our rightful place (Romans 3:24) to be with God, intimately connected and eternally communing with him in a very satisfying, living, individual way. Heed the call. Return to the Holy Sabbath rest with God, through Christ.
Listen. Let me tell you …
… of life beyond the Garden
(To gain the most from this chapter, please read Romans Chapters 5 and 6, especially 6:23.)
I have a weakness. I am intimate with my weaknesses and sometimes I sin.
“I have lied”.
“I have stolen”.
“I have killed”.
“I have disrespected Mother and Father”.
“I have lusted for things belonging to others”.
“I have been sexually compromised”.
“I place greater significance on things other than God”.
These could be words any person may identify with.
Equally, I have strengths. I am patient and tolerant. I am kind and generous. I seek truth and endeavour to live a life of love and integrity. Sometimes I even put others’ needs ahead of my own. This also could describe any of us. We are an unlikely mix of all that is good and all that is evil.
No matter any good I do, my sins condemn me. Like all my predecessors, I am that mixed bag of good and evil. When we look into the murky waters of our true selves, we see our flaws (in the same way, we look into the mirror and see a blemish on our face, or a scar on our flesh, or that we weigh more or less than our ideal). Our spiritual flaws, though a little harder to see, are still evident to us. We are intimate with our sin and our weaknesses. When we are at a low ebb, sometimes it is hard to recall those higher traits, so we may have difficulties with poor self-esteem and shame.
We clothe ourselves, and this creates an illusion, an acceptable image for society to tolerate us and welcome us. Our shame is hidden by our social camouflage – clothing and social graces.
The point is that we are tarred with the same brush as Adam and Eve, in that we are the spiritual product of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. We are also mortal, and the one undeniable fact of life is death. All who are born alive will die. This is the outcome inevitable since the eating of the forbidden fruit. Sadly, we are all separated from God, the Source, because of that original mistake. Eve was deceived by a lie. “You shall not surely die… you will be like God, knowing good from evil.” the serpent said. Yes, we know good from evil, but we chose that knowledge over life with God. We were banished from the garden, and we do surely die. We embrace our right to choose.
What is death? Is it the cessation of life, or is it just a passing through a door to another existence? Unfortunately, death is the absence of life, not a perpetuated life in some other form. Death is death. “The dead know nothing.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5).
Death and life are mutually exclusive. When God said, “You shall surely die”, he was not lying or tricking. He was not playing mind games with his beloved creatures. Adam and Eve chose death – somewhat unwittingly because the serpent lied. Well, Adam and Eve are dead and many multiple of billions of people have since died. Dead.
Yet some still believe the Serpents lie.
Some believe in heaven, that the soul lives on and if you are “good”, you go to Heaven and if you are “bad” you go to Hell. What God told Adam was “You will surely die” (Genesis 3:17). He did not say you will live forever in hell or purgatory or in another life form, such as a rabbit or frog. Death is the absence of life. The doctrine of “heaven and hell” as destinations beyond death, is not what the Bible actually teaches. Only those whom God resurrects, whose names get written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, will have a life beyond the grave (Revelation 20).
Because we are Adam’s offspring, we die. Death entered the world through one man (Romans 5:12). That is a huge responsibility. To think Adam is responsible for bringing every human into the world, but that he is also responsible for the death of every last one of them. Did God set Adam up to fail? Why was the serpent there anyway? What hope did Adam have to resist his evil powers of persuasion? These are philosophical questions, which can only be answered by speculation.
However, we began on a premise that God is creator and that he created us for purpose – to be in a loving intimate relationship with him. I was not created in vain. You were not created in vain. God is the initiator and perfecter of his plan and although eating of the fruit was a disaster, it was not a calamity.
God in his proclamations and actions after the “original sin” gave hope. He took responsibility for the situation and put in place a plan of redemption. “There will be enmity between you and the woman’s offspring.” Talking to the serpent, he said “You will bite his heel, but he will crush your head” (Genesis 3:15). The serpent set in motion the pattern of every human’s existence – exposure to sin and evil and the anguish and pain associated with this life and death. However, a saviour would be born who would stamp out the serpent’s power over us. This is our promised Christ. To “crush your head” is to completely dominate, to overcome, to be victorious in battle. We have a champion and saviour that won the battle over the serpent on our behalf (Matthew 4:1-11).
When you look into the mirror of your soul and find blemishes that bespeak of sin, know God will redeem you. You are not lost forever. The Saviour comes and will lead you back, cleansed and free from sin, to the Source, whom you desire. We can return to that idyllic place, perfected and in harmony with our Creator, back to where we belong. Not the Garden – for the garden spoke of both innocence and vulnerability. Once perfected, evil will never have power over us again and we will have reached our potential. Created in his image, we will be like him.
This is the calling we feel. These are the unspoken words we hear. This is not a righteousness borne of fear or imposed by rules and commandments, but a maturity of mind and heart strengthened by God’s love and His Spirit, to elect to live by the tenets of love in all things. This is the message the Saviour brought us and the path he guides us in. “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples. Love one another” (John 13:34-35). This is the guiding tenet of all Christ’s followers.
Christ takes our hand and leads us back to the Source. Know that what God has begun through Christ will never be thwarted. Christ overcame evil on our behalf. He overcame death on our behalf. And He lives to give us passage back to God.
Listen. Let me tell you …
… of the Law
(To gain the most from this reading please read Genesis Chapters 6-9.)
The Bible speaks of the development of evil in ensuing generations from Adam, but it also traces a righteous lineage. It speaks of Noah, a righteous man in an evil generation. The practices and culture of people at that time so grieved God that he wiped a whole generation out to start afresh. This was total destruction of the wicked antediluvian world by the flood from which he redeemed just this one righteous man and his family.
The Bible traces one branch of Noah’s family to a man Abram with whom God had an intimate relationship. He was a “friend of God” (James 2:23). God promised the Saviour would come from this man’s seed. “In your seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed” (Genesis 22:18). Abraham, as he came to be known, entered a covenant with God – all his family belonged to God – the mark of this covenantal relationship with God was circumcision. Abraham believed God, and this was accounted to him as righteousness. He was not required to live by complex sets of laws. He just believed that what God said he would do, he would do. From Abraham’s son Isaac, and his son Jacob, God re-confirmed and embellished his promises. Eventually, a nation was born and nourished and it grew into nationhood in a foreign land, The people were forever dreaming of returning to the land God had promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
When the time came, God rescued his people from hostile Egypt, and led them safely through many trials and miraculous interventions, until they settled finally in their own promised land, Canaan (Genesis 23:20-33; Genesis 24:3; Genesis 24:7-8). He had taken Israel to him (God changed Jacob’s name), and they entered a covenant with him, sealed in blood. (This sealing in blood was the linchpin upon which grace is based. It points to Jesus’ spilled blood which seals Christians into the New Covenant too.)
Israel promised to obey and worship God, and God in return, promised to bless and protect them (Exodus 19:8, 24:3, 23:20-26). “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land … Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.”
Within this covenant was clear demarcation of good and evil (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28; Deuteronomy 30:11-20). Good was equated to life and evil to death. Israel was encouraged to seek life within the covenantal relationship with God, by following his set patterns of worship and by keeping his law. There was a path of redemption back to the covenantal relationship for the individual and also for the collective sin of the nation. Sacrifices and elaborate rituals paved the way to reconciliation. The sacrifices, rituals and sacred holy days within an annual harvest routine, pointed to and prepared the way for Christ. In line with this schedule Jesus was to be born and his work, his life, his death and his resurrection are mapped out within the symbolism of the Israelite Annual Holy Calendar so he, Christ, would be recognized as the promised Saviour. Within this worship schedule, sacrificial animals substituted for the death of the sinner and pointed toward the ultimate sacrifice, the “lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).
Knowing the story of Israel, we understand that God created a holy nation, set aside for a holy purpose, to be the literal breeding ground for the Saviour to be born into. Sadly, Israel, like all people, lived according to both laws – the good and the evil and was seduced into idolatry and depravity, neglecting the holy promises they had made with their God.
Nevertheless, there has always remained a faithful few, who really love and follow God. After many generations a remnant clung to this covenant and Christ was indeed born from a holy royal lineage in a small proud nation oppressed by Roman rule – The Jews. Read Luke 3 and Matthew 1, which depict Jesus’ genealogy – through Joseph and through Mary, his earthly parents.
Though Israel had been governed by holy laws, Christ introduced new ideas. He demonstrated that one may live by the holy law, but not be holy or righteous in heart and soul. He showed how the “letter of the law” was inadequate. To enter into life one must also attend to the greater spiritual principles (Matthew 5:20; Jeremiah 31:33). He showed that these principles are to be married to faith and love, for one to be truly righteous. This becomes a matter of the heart and mind, led by the Spirit of God, not what is written on tablets of stone (Hebrews 10:16). He was the message bearer of a new covenant, sealed with his own blood. He spoke of a change of the very nature of mankind; that the heart of stone had become flesh and that we become tender and open to God – to love, to truth and to the promptings of the Holy Spirit of God (2 Corinthians 3:18; Jeremiah 24:7; Ezekiel 36:26-27).
Jesus spoke of the righteousness that springs from faith, as Abraham demonstrated. He spoke of forgiveness. Jesus spoke of circumcision of the heart, rather than that of the flesh. The outward sign of the covenantal relationship with God was no longer necessary, Christ lives in our hearts, and it is our hearts (that which drives and motivates us) which are changed.
Was Jesus merely a man? Was he merely of the lineage of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob – through King David and Solomon? How was Jesus different?
Christ was declared to be sinless. Like every specially selected lamb sacrificed before him, he was without blemish. He was perfect. He was worthy.
Was he merely a good man, an exceptional man or a man like none other, either before him or after him? Was he just the “perfect man”?
The purpose of the animal sacrificed in the garden was substitution – it was a mere beast, signifying that people would, and do, sin and that in order for us to live, someone had to die. The animal sacrifice deferred the punishment until the true saviour came. Likewise, any sacrificial ritual in the pages of the bible – in the worship ceremonies – indicated that people were, and are, sinners; that death hangs over us and that one true sacrificial lamb would rescue us from the evil one, redeem us and restore us to God. Death is for forever, unless we are saved from this fate.
The Book of Hebrews brings to our attention that the blood of bulls and goats has no effective eternal power over sin (Hebrews 9:9). “It is impossible for the blood of beasts to cleanse our hearts and consciences from sin. These sacrifices need to be done year after year, but Christ died once, for all.” Our Saviour’s sacrificial death as the ultimate lamb, without blemish, happened once. His shed blood alone can restore us to grace and to intimacy with God. Only His blood allows us to enter the Holy of Holies – Heaven, to commune with God (Hebrews 12:22-24).
Was Christ merely a good man, an exceptional man, a perfect man? The Bible tells us that Christ was born to a virgin, one who had never slept with or had sex with a man. It tells us that her pregnancy was only by miraculous conception through the power of God’s Spirit. Jesus was not merely a man. He is the Son of God – the very essence of God, alive on earth as a man (Hebrews 1:1-3; John 1:1-18).
For God took ultimate responsibility for this frail creature created in his own image. To redeem man to himself, it was essential that He die, so we may live. He took our sins upon himself. Christ, Emmanuel, God with us, died so we may live. God took our sins upon himself (Matthew 1:23).
Philippians 2:6 talks of Christ pouring out his divinity. It talks of him humbling himself to become flesh – man, so he could take many sons into glory. Hebrews 12 describes the heavenly host we join with in praise and honour of God. Psalms 68:18-20 says this. “When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious – that you, O Lord God, might dwell there. Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens.” Ephesians 4:8 shows how Jesus is the one who ascended on high, and we who were sinners are captured up with Him on His “train”. This train is in the same sense that a bride’s veil has a train or may be likened to a man’s coat tails. We enter God’s presence on Christ’s coat tails, so to speak.
God loves us and desires to be with us. He draws us unto himself. Humans live both good and evil – we sin. Humans live only to die. However, God accepts responsibility for his beloved creatures and sent us his perfect son to die, in our stead, so we may live. Christ lived a sinless human life. He did not sin and was not worthy of death. He was not only Adam’s son, he was God’s son. Only the Creator could redeem us, not a mere man. Only the death of a new Adam could suffice for the lives of all who ever lived. “As in Adam, all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23; Romans 5:17&19; Hebrews 10:10). Hallelujah! Praise God!
Listen. Let me tell you …
… of Grace
(To gain the most from this chapter please read Hebrews Chapter 10)
Jesus died once for all of us.
God loves us and draws us back to Himself. But we are flawed, and in the light of God’s holy one, Jesus, we see and understand our sinful nature. This is what leads us to repent. We understand we are loved, but evil has separated us from God. How do we get past this dilemma?
By understanding that Christ died to pay for our sins; that Christ’s shed blood covers our sins; by acknowledging and repenting of our sins; by accepting Jesus as our Saviour – accepting his shed blood to cover our sins; accepting the life he offers us renewed through his death and resurrection, we come to God cleansed and renewed. We are accepted, because the sin of Adam is washed away. We are no longer clothed with animal skins or camouflage, but in white linen – having taken on the righteousness of Christ, through faith in him, not by human effort but by God’s might and grace.
God accepts us, welcomes and embraces us. As humans we may occasionally sin, but Christ forever stands in the breech. Confess your sins and seek forgiveness and the blood of Christ sets you free and you will be adorned with righteousness, and you can claim that intimate and loving relationship with the Source, the Creator, the Father of all. Rejoice because this is forever, and it is real. God will complete that good work he has begun in you (Philippians 1:6).
Once we have accepted Jesus as our Saviour and repented of works that lead to death, we do not walk a tightrope of uncertainty based on acts of good over evil. We are not perched at a precarious point deemed to fail. Our calling and redemption are assured. Our eternal life, where we are forever embraced by God, is certain. What God has initiated he will complete in Christ, the Holy, Righteous One. This is grace – unmerited (not earned) pardon for sin. And this grace is extended to us, when we believe Jesus’ message and when we believe in his power to change us from sin to righteousness; and from death to life; to lead us back to God. We are however called upon to be faithful to this powerful relationship. We cannot intentionally continue to sin.
Listen. Let me tell you ….
…. of Heeding the call
(To gain the most from this passage, please read Revelation Chapters 1-3.)
Do you feel his calling? Do you hear him knocking at the door? It is a simple message. Repent and be baptised in Jesus’ name and you will receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Do you hear the message in the unspoken desire of your heart? He calls you. He draws you to him. He has a desire for the works of his hands (Job 14:13-17). A potter creates vessels for a purpose. Likewise, God made man for a purpose, and he is creating a glorious creature in each one of us. As we respond to Him, and as we mature in his love, we grow to be like him. We will be glorious as Christ is. We will be like him (Romans 8:14-17). We have a wholesome relationship with God, based on love, not fear.
Can you conceive of anything better than to be totally accepted, totally embraced and welcomed into the household of God – forever? (John 14:1-3). Christ preceded us into heaven and is -preparing a place for us. Our home is with God and with Christ. This is our calling. This is what you feel and hear with your heart. Our choice is to heed that calling. Our opportunity is to respond and enter God’s love and glory forever. This is where you belong.
Jesus will come and take us to himself (John 14:3-6). He is in heaven at the right hand of God (Acts 7:56; John 16:28; Revelation 1:4-6). He is cloaked in glory and authority. Jesus has power over death and the grave (1 Corinthians 15:25-28). He brings us from the grave to live to glorify God. We enter a deep worshipful and reverent intimate relationship with the Father in Christ (John 17:21-24). Love unites us with God, with Christ and with each other.
Two overarching principles endure – to love God with all your heart and mind and soul and the new commandment Christ gave to us – to live love – to love one another (Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8). There is no argument between law and grace, when we are following the teachings of Jesus, we are indeed fulfilling the law. Love is the fulfilment of the law (Luke 10:27).
We are encouraged to forgive as we have been forgiven and we are commanded to love one another, this is our calling card. This is the marker of us as disciples of Christ – not any outward markings such as circumcision, nor by clothes we wear, but by a change in our own hearts. It is a symbolic spiritual circumcision of the heart. The Spirit of God, dwells in us and converts our hearts to be like Christ, a man of compassion and love; a man who humbled himself and allowed himself to be murdered so he could save his friends; a man declared to be the Son of God, who nevertheless washed his friends’ and subordinates’ feet (John 15:9-17).
When his Spirit lives in us (John 15:26; 14:15-21), when we have died to sin at baptism and are resurrected anew in Christ, coming up out of the “watery grave”, we accept Christ both as our Saviour and as our guide. He blesses us by living within us. He and the Father make their home with us as the indwelling Holy Spirit binds us to them. The law, previously written on slabs of stone is now part of our being, it is written on our hearts. We respond to its spiritual intent, going beyond the letter. When his Spirit lives in us, we, in essence, become his vessels to continue the work he began. Thus, we are bonded to him and united with the Father and become his conduits to conduct his work and his will on earth, completing what he instructed us to do – to preach the gospel and to make disciples, who also come to him in faith and love. We are the work and also become part of the workforce.
Listen. Let me tell you …
… of forgiveness and renewal
(To gain the most from this chapter please read Matthew Chapters 5-7, especially Matthew Chapter5:14-15)
Take hold and hold fast.
Because we are human, and we are also Christ’s brothers and God’s children, we may fear exposure. My fear is that people will see who I truly am and scorn me for it – that I might be exposed as a fraud. We learn shame from a society filled with injustice and bigotry. The shame of poverty, neglect and abuse haunts us. We may even take on board a sense of self-loathing as we adopt society’s attitudes.
Putting the past behind can be the most difficult undertaking for new Christians. Overcoming that sense of un-deservedness can be a mighty hurdle for some.
Despite this devastatingly humble and hopeless beginning, Christians embrace the most brilliant opportunity. Just as our Saviour was shamed and strung up on a tree, but now sits in glory with the Father, we also may rise from our unfortunate origins and reach a potential that would have otherwise been impossible. Adverse circumstances can breed strength, determination, virtue and commitment, which coupled with love and the Spirit of God, brings about marvellous changes in us.
Jesus came healing. Often rather than saying, “Be healed” he would say, “Your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:8-12). He was rebuked for this, but he questioned whether it is easier to say, be healed or be forgiven. Both miraculous healing and divine forgiveness of sins are impossible for humans to perform. Jesus came with the authority of God to do both, and all his inspirational claims were supported by God through miracles which were inexplicable to his enemies and audiences.
When we come to him confessing our sins and shortcomings, he forgives us (1 John 1:9). He has the power over death and the grave. When we are forgiven, we are forgiven indeed. He removes our sin from us forever (Psalm 103:8-14).
This is possible because we believe and accept that he died for our sins and that his shed blood has redeemed us to God. The death knell no longer clangs over our heads, holding us to ransom. He is the ransom paid in full. All that Adam and Eve set in motion and all the requirements of the law are fully accounted for and covered by this one perfect life, given so we may live (John 3:16). “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believed in him will not perish, but have everlasting life.” It is as simple as that! Confess that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 4:15). Accept him as your Saviour. Trust in his shed blood. Believe in the redemptive power of his sacrifice (1 John 1:5-10). Understand he is alive and forever ready to advocate on your behalf. Embrace your calling and respond to God’s call.
Let go of your old life and embrace your new life in Christ (Romans 12:1-2) through baptism in water (Romans 6:1-14) and receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38) – Christ in us – by the laying on of hands by “elders” of the church (senior members of the body of believers) (Acts 8:17). This is your challenge – respond to God and accept this gift of grace and mercy. You will be healed and restored to your spiritual path and your place with God through Christ. Welcome to eternity within the glorious household of God (John 14:1-6)!
This is God’s plan for you and all who respond to his call. Welcome to eternity. Conversion is a journey. It starts with the calling and the drawing by God of you to him. He knocks on the door (Revelation 3:20). Open it. He calls to you. Hear him. He draws you to him – go with him. He desires to bring you to him (Revelation 3:21-22).
You hear the message of Christ and it resonates. It resonates because the gospel message is in tune with your inner desires and the seeds of hope planted by God. It resonates because the Spirit of God compels your heart and mind to hear his word and respond.
When you consider Jesus, you understand “I am this” and “He is that “. I want to be part of that which he leads and exemplifies – goodness, mercy, kindness and joy – the wonderful wealth of good living. You see yourself and know you want to change to be like him, because he is good. Everything about him is inspiring and welcoming. You want to cast off your old way and start afresh. He gives you the opportunity and invites you in.
You repent. You are baptised in his Holy name, Jashua or Jesus the Christ. And people lay hands on you and pray for you (Acts 8:17). They pray you will be received into God’s family of believers and that you will receive the seal of the Holy Spirit – that Christ will now live in you and all your future will be in Him. That God will embrace you for eternity. They pray God will lead you in your calling and direct your step in his paths and work. They pray for forgiveness and healing in your heart and in your life. They pray with faith, knowing what God has promised, he will do.
You respond with joy and embark on your new life, eternally in Christ. Congratulations. This is the most momentous occasion of your life and existence. Nothing except the resurrection will surpass it. Congratulations. Your conversion is accompanied by joyous singing. Heaven itself is resonating with the voices of innumerable angels singing God’s praises and rejoicing that one of God’s children has come home. Congratulations. Well done. Good choice.
Listen. Let me tell you …
… of faithfulness and endurance
(To gain the most from this chapter please read Psalms Chapter 23)
Conversion is a journey. You have just started along a path of true enlightenment – not enlightenment with “knowledge” as the lamp, but enlightenment of the heart with the Spirit of God as the lamp, illuminating your way and leading you to fullness and maturity. Congratulations. Your journey has begun.
You will learn of patience. You will learn of faith. You will learn of humility and forgiveness – of love and compassion. You will learn about yourself, and you will learn to forgive yourself too. You will learn to be strong where you were weak. You will learn to bend where you used to resist. You will learn to subject every thought and fibre of your being to the mighty one, the Creator, the sustainer, the loving Father of all. You will learn submission. You will learn humility. You will cast off self-abasement in favour of clear insight into yourself and your potential. You will see beauty in all things. You will understand Christ takes away your sins.
You will find joy in every moment. You will know peace. You will discern in wisdom, all truth worth knowing. You will know love. You will live love. You will embrace. You will be embraced. You will be an instrument of God to do his will (Romans 6:11-14). You will be gifted according to the power of the Holy Spirit vested in you. You will learn patience. You will learn faith. You will endure and you will be faithful. You will grow to be like him (Revelation 3:11-13).
Conversion is a journey.
It can be long and arduous. You can meet hardships and trials. Endure these with patience and faith; endure them with hope, for these chapters of your life bring you to perfection. You will know joy and you will know pain, but your faith will stay strong for you are earmarked for God’s work and for his purpose. Trust God, even when you stumble because he knows your make-up and he will see you through to the end.
If you slip up, know Christ is there to intercede for you. Confess your sins in prayer and communion and seek healing and comfort from him. He will see you through this journey. He will never forsake you. Cast off any burden and shackle of the mind and run your steady course toward the prize, the crown of glory that awaits you in heaven in the bosom of the family of God in communion with the Father and his son Jashua the Christ, whom we call Jesus (John 14:1-4).
Life with God is a journey into eternity that starts here. Embarking on this path is the first step, but you will very soon realise that life is not passing you by – you are living it abundantly. You will meet challenges and new experiences. You will hurtle headlong into situations that seem overwhelming because God is directing your learning to the areas you need to develop. Go with it. Don’t hide. Don’t resist. Seek God. He will always be there with you.
If you seem to be walking in the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4), know that even there, Christ is with you. He is in you, strengthening you and enlightening you. He is ever there with you and for you. He is a wonderful high priest and mediator who, having experienced this life, knows intimately about our struggles and will always intercede on our behalf. Know you are loved with heavenly passion that will never fade or falter. Know you are embraced and accepted. Know you are a child of God. You belong, because he invited you to him and you said “Yes”.
“Come you blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).
Listen. Let me tell you …
… of temptation and trial
(To gain the most from this chapter please read Isaiah Chapter 12, Psalms Chapter 25 and Chapter 27)
Eve was deceived (Genesis 3:13). She believed a lie. “You shall not surely die.” “You will be wise” (Genesis 3:1-6). She and Adam could not have foreseen the catastrophic results of their unwitting folly. God knew and he allowed it. He allowed that the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil be in the garden. Humans in untried form do not have the fortitude to resist temptation.
God made us in his image, in intellect, emotion, creativity, desire, communication and potential. We were created to be like him, but through the unfortunate “mistake” of our forefather and mother, we are all taken on a journey during which we are all exposed to all that is good and great in man and all that is despicable and cruel and evil. We do not develop God’s nature unless by exercise we learn to discern evil from good and choose the right path (Hebrews 5:11-14). We cannot remain as babies and hope to develop into the perfect man.
God does not rescue us from evil. That is not his role. It never was. Adam and Eve were free to choose. We are free to choose. God laid out the truth of Good and Evil to the Israelites. He offered blessing and life for obedience to the Holy Law, and he warned of Hardship, death and separation from God, for disobedience. “Choose life”, he instructed them (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).
Choose Life.
As we travel this path, as we meet each new day, we will face innumerable challenges (Romans 5:1-5). Sometimes, we will rise above with ease and continue to express the grace of God in work and deed. Sometimes, despite great hardship, we will still reflect the beauty and love of God, which shines from deep within us, to all people we meet.
Sometimes however, we face challenges that cut at the very core of our being. Sometimes we meet obstacles that seem to require more fortitude than we are blessed with. Sometimes sin so easily besets us, traps us, ensnares us and we hear the enemy’s voice stronger than we hear our Saviour’s voice (1 Peter 2:9 & 11).
Sometimes the tie that binds us to God, seems gossamer thin and fragile. Sometimes we forget who we are and justify our weakness and entertain sin in our mind or even in reality. We feel we are perched on a precipice of a deep dark cavern from which there is no escape and no return (Romans 7:14-25).
Sometimes we become disheartened and lost and sometimes we come to a standstill and question our calling and our own faith. And we question God (1 Peter 4:12-13).
Know that these challenges come and will come. Know that God has his mark on you and will not leave you to fail. Know that he loves you and you are the apple of his eye. Know that you are made to be with him, and it is his and Christ’s primary focus to see you through. Know that peace will return and that through this trial you will grow stronger. You will come to be the fullness of all you can be. You will be refined like a diamond turned from common coal to an outstandingly precious jewel. Know that you are God’s treasure. You will see daylight again. You will be restored. You will breathe free again. The enemy will be rebuked (Hebrews 12:1-12; Revelation 20:1-3; Matthew 4:10; James 4:5-10).
Your strength comes from God. It is from in yourself. You do not overcome sin. The Lord overcomes sin (Galatians 3:1-4 & 23-28) and you take on his cloak of righteousness (Galatians 2:15-21). By God’s power alone we undergo the metamorphosis from human to divine. By God’s will we enter Heaven, (John 14:1-6) not by our own efforts (Galatians 4:21-25). Trust God. Trust in his plan. Trust in his promise (Philippians 1:6). Trust in his strength. Trust in the power of Christ’s shed blood and trust in the Spirit of Christ which dwells in you (James 1:2-4; Romans 4:1-11).
It is our job to endure, to see it through, to keep our hand to the plow, to keep our eyes on the goal. To keep our mind and heart firmly focused on Jesus, the perfecter and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Listen. Let me tell you …
… of Love (“the most excellent way”)
(To gain the most from this chapter please read 1 Peter 4:8; 1 Corinthians Chapter 13; Ephesians Chapter 4; 1 Peter 2:5; Ephesians 4:14-16)
It is our job, as disciples of Christ, to support each other. We are to create in our fellowship pods, the safe haven (1 Peter 1:22-23), the soft landing, the easy care and love of true brothers and sisters in Christ. It is our job to practice heaven with each other (Galatians 5:22-23), by living love, by living forgiveness (Luke 6:36-38), by sharing hope and joy and encouragement (1 Thessalonians 5:11) – leaving harsh words and judgements outside the doors of fellowship (James 4:11-13).
What Right do I have?
Exposed by my sins, disgraced,
Knowing I am shamed,
He rises up before my face,
Glorious, without blame.
..
How can the one who is so pure
Bear the pain of death?
And me whose sinful heart is raw,
Live to take a breath?
.
The magnitude of what he’s done,
To take away my sin.
The Prince of Life, God’s only son,
Died so I may live.
.
We come before him to accept,
The blood he spilt for us.
And we partake the bread of life-
The life that he gave up.
.
Bathed in grace, how dare we then
Turn on one another?
Through harshest word, brother condemn
Or father, sister, mother?
.
Rather when you think you’re wronged,
Remember him who died.
And to whom you now belong-
In humble love abide.
.
And likewise in his love you grow,
And blessing, he will give.
Care, concern for others show.
In light of love you’ll live.
.
Take upon yourself his passion-
One ‘nothers needs to meet.
And after him yourself to fashion.
Recall he washes feet.
.
And walk you now in the light
And knowledge of the truth.
Cast your mind on his delight.
Brothers live in peace.
.
It is our job to nurture one another, to express the divine love God has shared with us (1 Corinthians 13:8-13) in all our interactions and ministrations. It is our job to help each other to lift up the feeble hands and strengthen the weak legs, so we can arrive together at our destination in heaven’s chambers with God and Jesus.
It is our job to inspire each other and to encourage the development of talents (Ephesians 4:11-13) and gifts. It is our job to believe in miracles (1 Corinthians 12:12-31) and create an environment of faith together in which miracles are made manifest through the mighty power of the Spirit of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:4-11).
It is our job to love in power and in truth (1 Corinthians 13:13). It is our job to love the weak, the homeless, the disenfranchised. It is our job to feed people with nutrients from the field and from the Spirit (John 21:15-17). It is our job to uphold what is good and to help each other through trials.
It is our job to wash each other’s feet (John 13:1-17). In so doing, it is our job to minister to each other as we would for Christ. It is our job to submit to each other in humility (Ephesians 5:21) and love. It is our job to care. By washing each other’s feet, we take on the mantle of Christ. We take on the mantle of the servant, brother and friend, who willingly laid down his life for his friends. This is a glorious honour. This is our best opportunity to emulate him, whom we follow. Every time you serve your brother or sister you serve Christ and every time you serve your brother or sister, you “become” Christ to them.
It is our job to speak boldly to the world, of Christ and of the invitation to fellowship with God (Matthew 28:19-20). It is our job to teach and lead people to Christ. It is our job to provide a home for new believers. It is our job to embrace them and shower upon them the love and acceptance Christ offers.
It is our job to let our lights shine (Matthew 5:14-16), so the world sees the work of Christ in all our love sacrifices. It is our job to wait on him – to respond to the bidding of the Holy Spirit. It is our job to cling to Christ, the true vine, to seek nurture and strength from him. It is our job to seek comfort from him and to provide comfort to each other (James 5:13-20). It is our job to be a spiritual family for each other. It is our job to be an unquenchable fire (1 Thessalonians 5:19) fed by the Spirit of God.
Listen. Let me tell you …
… of peace
(To gain the most from this chapter please read Revelation Chapters 21 and 22)
“There remains a ‘rest’ for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:8). Enter now into his rest. God gives us peace. Christ invited us to take his yoke upon our shoulders, for it is light and easy (Matthew 11:29-30). To accept Christ is to take up an easy burden. He grants us his peace, not the peace of the world, but true peace. This comes from assurances he gave us. God invites us into his rest. He invites us to share his peace (John 14:27). He reassures us of his love, and he supports us in our need (Ephesians 4:7). We are prompted to “make every effort to enter that rest” (Hebrews 4:1&3).
The Bible starts and ends with the world being at “rest”, and with the presence of the Tree of Life (Genesis 2:9, Revelation 22:2). It starts and ends with us, humans, living in Utopia with God. In the final Utopia, Earth and Heaven are reborn. Jerusalem descends from the clouds, adorned “as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband”. It is declared in this vision from John; that God’s dwelling is with men. “He will live with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3). This conclusion to man’s struggles is certain. The vision harks back to a wonderful restoration of all that God intended in the garden.
God comforts us. He cares. He wipes away all tears. He restores us to his bosom and to intimate companionship with him. He has restored the balance, the peace, the tranquillity. There is no more death, no mourning, no crying and no pain (Revelation 21:4). All these consequences of Adam and Eve’s mistake and mankind’s sin are all passed away. Everything is new. God says, “To him who is thirsty, I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life” (Revelation 21:6-7).
The Holy City (the Church of Jesus – all his followers) in all its glory is the bride of the Lamb. There is no darkness, only light and only those whose names are written in the Book of Life may dwell there. A pure river of water pours forth from the very throne of God and the Lamb, through the city and beyond, providing healing and life to the nations (Revelation 22:1-7). This is the Holy Spirit.
Jesus reassures us that he is coming soon, and we will be rewarded. We are blessed when we wash our robes (through repentance and baptism leading to the forgiveness of our sins) – we are clothed with righteousness of Christ (Galatians 3:26-27). We are blessed because we have the right to the Tree of Life. We belong and are entitled to live with God and Christ eternally.
He calls us to Him. “Come”. Let those who are thirsty, “come” and “whoever wishes, let him take of the free gift of the water of life” (Revelation 22:17). We are created to live.
“Yes”, he says, “I am coming soon”. We go to him. He calls us to himself. He comes to us and grants us life and communion with himself and the Father, forever. Come. Live.
Conclusion
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and soul and Love each other.
Let’s do our job. Well done thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into my rest. Let’s look forward to our introductions in heaven. Welcome my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased. Glory be to God for his Faithfulness and the ultimate outcome of his glorious plan for us who are made in his likeness.
We each are the beloved of the Father (John 14:23). “If anyone loves me he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” This is the Love Story of all time.
Amen. Come Lord Jesus.
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