Read It, Learn It,
Live It, Share It
“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” – Romans
8:35
The rose
drops petals when left uncut. The bold
redness fades to black, and they wither, before they become dis-joined from the
stem. Eventually the stalk is bare and
naked of it’s radiance and beauty. But
is it still a rose? If not, than what is
it?
The child wakes angry at his or her parents for their authority and strictness. Friends whisper in their ear that they don’t need the parents, or the rules or judgment. The child packs a bag, takes a few $20 bills from Dad’s wallet and walks out the door, hops in a car and is gone. No note, no Tweet, no text, no call – just gone. Is he or she still the child of those parents?
Tell me then, at what point in our life can we stop being a child of God? If our spirit dies within us, and the fire is burnt out – has the love of our Father changed? If we have chosen the wrong path and done unmentionable acts of unrighteousness, is the redemptive act of Christ’s death and resurrection unobtainable? Tell me of the sinful nature that you have determined is beyond God’s grace and mercy.
The Pharisees and Sadducees lived their lives as if they could abide within God’s law. Even in their educated, disciplined and strictness, their hearts and arrogance exposed their unrighteousness. Jesus Christ came as a new covenant between man and God, not to abolish those laws, but to fulfill them with perfection. His life portrayed perfectly the will, the love and the spirit of God Almighty. Through His perfection, He introduced us to God’s expectations of His children. The problem this created though, is that mankind is incapable of living this life, because of our inherent sinful nature.
The fact that we are born of mankind, the blood of Adam runs through us. The sinful nature over millennia of time has not washed clean and never will. Jesus Christ was not born of man’s blood, but born of the Holy Spirit, through Mary. The fact that in His perfection and holiness He took our sins upon Himself, provided complete redemption for all of our iniquities. The blood He shed upon that cross was a pure sacrifice from the lamb of God and sufficient for any sin that would ever be. His life and His blood is all that He could give, nothing more. If it is not sufficient to redeem the sin that dwells within your unrighteousness, then it is insufficient for any sin. God did not send His Son to die for some, but for ALL that believe in Him. Otherwise, John 3:16 might read something like this; “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that some of you who believe in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” You know that is not what it says, you know this verse by heart and you know it says “…that whosoever believes …”
You either believe it or you don’t. If you don’t, than you are stating you don’t believe that God’s word is truthful and authentic. It indicates that you believe you know, more than the Creator, about the rules and guidelines for eternal life. Here is the reality of the situation. You are dealing with human guilt, pressed down upon you by your own feelings, not from God. You see, God cannot love you more than He does. He gave you everything you need to enter eternal life with Him in heaven. There is not a second round of redemption coming, Christ’s death and resurrection is sufficient. This love of the Father is infinitely greater than anything our human mind can conceive and therefore cannot be increased, nor can it be decreased. It is unchanging, immutable and consistent. Nothing you can do can separate you from His love? It is strictly your choice whether you want to accept it or not. Just as your child will always be your child despite whether they are happy with you at the moment or not, you were created by Him and for Him, and you can’t undo that.
© Sondove
Enterprises, 2012The child wakes angry at his or her parents for their authority and strictness. Friends whisper in their ear that they don’t need the parents, or the rules or judgment. The child packs a bag, takes a few $20 bills from Dad’s wallet and walks out the door, hops in a car and is gone. No note, no Tweet, no text, no call – just gone. Is he or she still the child of those parents?
Tell me then, at what point in our life can we stop being a child of God? If our spirit dies within us, and the fire is burnt out – has the love of our Father changed? If we have chosen the wrong path and done unmentionable acts of unrighteousness, is the redemptive act of Christ’s death and resurrection unobtainable? Tell me of the sinful nature that you have determined is beyond God’s grace and mercy.
The Pharisees and Sadducees lived their lives as if they could abide within God’s law. Even in their educated, disciplined and strictness, their hearts and arrogance exposed their unrighteousness. Jesus Christ came as a new covenant between man and God, not to abolish those laws, but to fulfill them with perfection. His life portrayed perfectly the will, the love and the spirit of God Almighty. Through His perfection, He introduced us to God’s expectations of His children. The problem this created though, is that mankind is incapable of living this life, because of our inherent sinful nature.
The fact that we are born of mankind, the blood of Adam runs through us. The sinful nature over millennia of time has not washed clean and never will. Jesus Christ was not born of man’s blood, but born of the Holy Spirit, through Mary. The fact that in His perfection and holiness He took our sins upon Himself, provided complete redemption for all of our iniquities. The blood He shed upon that cross was a pure sacrifice from the lamb of God and sufficient for any sin that would ever be. His life and His blood is all that He could give, nothing more. If it is not sufficient to redeem the sin that dwells within your unrighteousness, then it is insufficient for any sin. God did not send His Son to die for some, but for ALL that believe in Him. Otherwise, John 3:16 might read something like this; “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that some of you who believe in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” You know that is not what it says, you know this verse by heart and you know it says “…that whosoever believes …”
You either believe it or you don’t. If you don’t, than you are stating you don’t believe that God’s word is truthful and authentic. It indicates that you believe you know, more than the Creator, about the rules and guidelines for eternal life. Here is the reality of the situation. You are dealing with human guilt, pressed down upon you by your own feelings, not from God. You see, God cannot love you more than He does. He gave you everything you need to enter eternal life with Him in heaven. There is not a second round of redemption coming, Christ’s death and resurrection is sufficient. This love of the Father is infinitely greater than anything our human mind can conceive and therefore cannot be increased, nor can it be decreased. It is unchanging, immutable and consistent. Nothing you can do can separate you from His love? It is strictly your choice whether you want to accept it or not. Just as your child will always be your child despite whether they are happy with you at the moment or not, you were created by Him and for Him, and you can’t undo that.
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