We live because Jesus died in our place.
As a man, He humbled Himself, enduring humiliation, torture and death on a cross to save us from ourself. We love Him now, as God our risen Savior. Only He could save us from the death that we deserved in exchange for eternity with Him. Salvation is a gift of a loving Father that we could never earn.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17
For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24
Jesus suffered the punishment for His people: for every intentional idolatry, every injustice, every immorality (Deuteronomy 27:16-25). For every word of the law we have not fulfilled (Deuteronomy 27:26), He has provided redemption (Galatians 3:13)! Praise God that we can leave behind our past sins and follow Him! First5
“But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments."
And lest we forget, we are on this journey together, so our groundedness spills to the world and to those around us.
This from Rev. Steven Charleston, Choctaw elder and retired Episcopal bishop. "It is not for me to tell you who you are, but please let me share this small insight. The beauty of your life is contained in its simplicity. You were born to be an agent of grace, sharing kindness into the world. You are an unconscious healer, restoring hope into the world. These two simple definitions are a spiritual job description. They represent the core of your calling. I believe they describe all of us, uniting us into a shared purpose. Beyond all of the differences we construct among ourselves, we have a common task. Agents of grace. Sources of hope. If we see ourselves in this way, the complexity we imagine becomes the simplicity we are."
Count me in. SabbathMoments
Luke 10:25-28
25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” 27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ” 28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” The New King James Version
A legal expert was one trained in the law of Moses; likely a Pharisee. The question was to entrap Jesus in argumentation for the purpose of discrediting Him. Since He is conversing with a legal expert, Jesus appeals to the law. The lawyer’s answer parallels Jesus’ teaching in Matthew and Mark about the greatest commandments.These commands reflect the heart of Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom of God: love of God and love of neighbor. Faithlife Study Bible
The question posed by the lawyer is really a challenge, since the verse speaks of the testing of Jesus. To inherit something is to receive it. In other words, the man was asking, “What must I do to share in the reward at the resurrection of the righteous at the end?” The Old Testament basis of this question is the hope of resurrection.
Jesus countered the lawyer’s test by having him answer his own question. The lawyer responded to Jesus’ questions by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5, a text that was recited twice a day by every faithful Jew. This text summarized the central ethical standard of the Law.
The basis of the man’s response is an expression of allegiance and devotion that also can be seen as the natural expression of faith, since the total person, heart, soul, strength, and mind, is involved. The theme of love for God is picked up with its emphasis on devotion to Jesus, and in where the disciples are taught to be devoted to God in prayer. Jesus develops the theme of love for one’s neighbor.
Jesus was not saying that righteousness is the result of works. Rather He was saying that love for and obedience to God will be a natural result of placing one’s faith in the Lord. The NKJV Study
If we speak of eternal life, and the way to it, in a careless manner, we take the name of God in vain. No one will ever love God and his neighbour with any measure of pure, spiritual love, who is not made a partaker of converting grace. But the proud heart of man strives hard against these convictions.
It is lamentable to observe how selfishness governs all ranks; how many excuses men will make to avoid trouble or expense in relieving others. But the true Christian has the law of love written in his heart. The Spirit of Christ dwells in him; Christ’s image is renewed in his soul. The parable is a beautiful explanation of the law of loving our neighbour as ourselves, without regard to nation, party, or any other distinction. It also sets forth the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward sinful, miserable men.
It is the duty of us all , in our places, and according to our ability, to succour, help, and relieve all that are in distress and necessity. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
No comments:
Post a Comment