Christ has taken away our sin. Let us rejoice in Him.
Following the flood, we have this simple yet striking declaration: ‘the
ground was dry’ (Genesis 8:13). Safe from judgment! This is the message
which comes to us from the Cross: ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes
away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29). The judgment has fallen upon
Christ. We are no longer swept away in the judgment. We can stand on
solid ground: ‘On Christ the solid Rock I stand’ (Church Hymnary, 411).
He is our Support in ‘the whelming flood’. God said to Noah, ‘Come out
of the ship’ (Genesis 8:15). We are in Christ. He is the Source of our
salvation. God has brought us into Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30). He does
not bring us into Christ solely for our own benefit. We are sent out to
be fruitful (Genesis 8:17; John 15:16). We are to ‘abide in Christ’.
This is the way of fruitfulness (John 15:4-5). We are not sent out
alone. Strengthened in ‘the ship’ (in Christ), we step out with Christ
and for Him.
‘Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord’ (Psalm 64:10).
True joy in the Lord is not just a passing emotion, a feeling which
doesn’t last for very long. When our ‘praise’ to the Lord is real, it
leads to a changed life: ‘O God’, we will ‘keep our promises to You’
(Psalm 65:1). Jesus shows us the great difference between a passing
emotion, a feeling which doesn’t last, and a true conversion which leads
to a changed life. He speaks of those who ‘receive the Word with joy,
... endure for a while’ and then ‘fall away’. He speaks also of those
who ‘hear the Word and accept it and bear fruit’ (Mark 4:3-9, 16-17,
20). How do you worship the Lord? Are you looking for a good feeling -
and nothing more than that? God is looking for more. He wants us to live
as ‘a new creation’ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Christ has given us new life. Let us live for Him.
What are we praying for when we ask God to fill us with His Spirit? We
are praying ‘for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control’. This is ‘the fruit of the
Spirit’(Galatians 5:22-23). How are we to be filled with the Spirit? How
does the fruit of the Spirit grow in our lives? We keep our eyes fixed
on Jesus, saying in our hearts, ‘God forbid that I should glory save in
the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been
crucified to me, and I to the world’ (Galatians 6:14). ‘Turn your eyes
upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will
grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace’ (Mission
Praise, 712). Looking to Him, let’s concentrate on the one thing that
really matters - living as ‘a new creation’ (Galatians 6:15).
On the
one side of Christ’s disciples, there are the hypocrites. On the other
side, there are ‘the Gentiles’ (Matthew 6:32). The hypocrites represent
religion without reality. The Gentiles represent the world, living for
material things only, refusing to take spiritual realities seriously. We
are to be different from both the hypocrites and the Gentiles. Our top
priority is pleasing God, not impressing men. We are to live for God’s
eternal Kingdom rather than living for a world which is passing away.
Living for Christ is very different from worldly living. Our life is to
be governed by heavenly, and not earthly, priorities (Matthew 6:19-21).
We are to walk in the light, refusing to be overcome by the darkness
(Matthew 6:22-23). We are to trust the Lord, refusing to let unbelieving
anxiety rule our lives (Matthew 6:25-34).
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