May Grace and Peace be Multiplied to You (1Peter 1:1-2)
I
met her yesterday while I was walking my dog. Dianne seemed to grasp at the
attention she received from a simple hello. She began to tell me things, thing
I did not particularly care to hear. It was obvious this woman was hurting and
in bondage to her sin. I shared the gospel with her and let her know that Jesus
Christ is the answer to her pain. Her response made me realize that this person
had been receiving some form of spiritual training. She asked informed
questions, she said the right things about salvation and who Jesus Christ was.
That made the filth and corruption that came out of her mouth all the more
astounding. I had to let her know that I could not listen to her anymore and
left. My heart sank. I considered how God’s grace had preserved me from becoming like Dianne. Then I realized how
much like her I really am. Am I not tempted to adopt a victim mentality when
things don’t go my way? Do I not vilify people who hurt me? Am I not tempted to
absolve myself of any guilt or responsibility when my relationships are
breaking apart? We are all tempted to resent difficult circumstances and the
people through which they come. What grace have we been given to have peace in
the midst of difficult circumstances?
He has caused us to be born again to a living
hope (1Peter 1:3-5)
God
graciously gives us hope through Jesus Christ. It is through Jesus that we have
learned of God’s great love, justice, and the eternal life that only he can
provide. It is through the resurrection of Jesus Christ that we have hope of eternal
life after the death of our mortal bodies. Jesus, his ministry, and message were
vindicated when God raised him from the dead. God has given mankind hope of an
eternal existence in his kingdom. This kingdom is so unique that it cannot be
described by comparing it to anything here on earth. Instead, it is described
by stating everything it is not. We know what death, impurity, and fading is
like. We have no real understanding of what the complete opposite of these is
like. Try to draw a picture of utopia sometime and you will understand the
difficulty of grasping and communicating the infinite reality of eternal peace through
the limited faculty of a finite mind. The impression we are left with is one
where everything is complete and healthy for everyone. This is the biblical
concept of peace, everything as it should be. An absolute peace awaits those
who dedicate themselves to Christ having placed their faith and trust in him. The
assurances of eternal bliss and the confident expectation of our deliverance
from the hurt and sin in this world should result in peace. Realizing that
everything we are experiencing is temporary and God will set all things right
should motivate us to lean on this confidence in the promises of God.
Meditating on these promises and knowing that God will accomplish what he has
determined gives the Christian strength and peace to endure even the worst
persecution. God promises to preserve those who are committed to responding to
the truth of His word. That commitment should continue when unexpected,
unpleasant, and unwelcomed events occur.
How confident are you that you will enjoy this eternal
bliss? The answer lies in your commitment to follow Jesus Christ. He is our
living hope. The choice is yours, you can continue fighting against the
temptations to be like Dianne or you can surrender to having a living hope! This
living hope is only given by grace to those who are saved through faith in Jesus Christ. Have you ever asked God for forgiveness?
No comments:
Post a Comment