GOD’S WORD FOR APRIL 30
GOD’S WORD FOR APRIL 30 ~ ~ 2Corinthians 4:14 ~ ~ “knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.” God the Father raised Jesus up, and He will also raise us up, and present us to His Son to live with Him forever.
Romans 6:8 ~ ~ “ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,”
Lets look in the Resurrection box and see what else is in there from the Bridegroom.
Another benefit of the Resurrection is that believers are united with Christ
When we believe in Christ, we are united to Him in faith . Union with Christ means that when God looks at us, He does not see our sins, but the perfection of Christ. It means that we have died with Him and will also live with Him.
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
This is difficult to understand, but it is a spiritual truth clearly described in the Bible.
Jesus prayed for this union in His prayer to the Father in John 17:20-23
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”
Jesus and the Father, along with the Holy Spirit are one. Now, Jesus wants us to be, in a sense, one with them. Certainly not equal to them, certainly not gods, but one in desires and affections with our God.
What a wonderful thought, especially when we were so far from them in our sins, and will be sinful and rebellious in our flesh until we die from this world. It’s all by grace!! All by the Love of the Almighty!
We are just creation, He is the Creator of all! We are unjust and He is entirely Holy and Just. Appreciation of His magnificence can’t even find a place in our minds!
He controls the universe! He puts the stars in place and knows them by name! He controls the wind, storms, and moves mountains!!!
He controls rulers of nations and punishes the evil doers.
And yet, He cares about the sparrow, and determines when its life will end, being there with her.
He cares about our thoughts, feelings, sorrows and joys, and is there with each of us too.
I was contemplating this one day when my lively, playful dog, Bambi, was stalking a squirrel in a tree. That squirrel was her life at that moment. She would not move, no matter what it took, but in her excitement, her entire body was quivering. Her Creator was there with her, getting pleasure out of her seriousness in doing what He created her to do. He was also with the squirrel, watching the dog carefully, but also not moving. He created that little guy that way. The birds, ants, lions, reptiles and germs. He’s with every individual all the time! It’s true. His Word says so.
Yet, He was with me, in my thoughts and prayers at that moment too. He was with you at that moment and every moment, also. Every person all over the world had His full attention even as He was smiling about Bambi’s excitement with her task.
He was with the CEO at the pivotal board meeting that would determine his future. He was in the room with the dictator, signing the document that would cost the lives of many people, or save many.
Yet, He was watching the would-be criminal as his anger surged through his veins even as the drugs he just shot, and deciding to pull the trigger or not. God was there too, as He was with the would-be victim in his fear.
His size, power and intelligence cannot begin to enter our puny minds. We are nothing in the whole scheme of things, and yet, He takes pleasure in being with us!!!!!
How could that be? How could He choose to come here, become one of us, and die FOR US?
How could He do that? Because of Love. Because, of all the other things that He is, the most important is that GOD IS LOVE.
He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
How could a believer not be excited about an everlasting future with Him?
How could anyone not want to believe and enjoy what we were created to enjoy?
We don’t have to understand it, we never really will, at least in this life.
But we can tell Him we want to believe. Please take that step. He’ll help you to the next step.
Live in the Light of Our Lord 