The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"A Secure Life, a Solemn Responsibility"
The Apostle Paul declared that the Lord Jesus Christ arose from death, never to die again.
"Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God" (Romans 6:9-10).
Paul affirmed the same of born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, those who by grace through faith are "saved by His life" (Romans 5:10).
"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord… we shall be saved by His life" (Romans 6:11; Romans 5:10; emphasis added).
"Likewise" declares the Apostle of the "new creature" we are in Christ that can no more die again than can the Lord Jesus (II Corinthians 5:17). "His life" provides the guarantor of our life. Once He enlivens our spirits through sending the Holy Spirit to dwell within us in the moment of our new birth, we will be alive in Him forevermore.
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever" (John 6:51).
The Apostle John applies the aorist verb tense of the original Greek in this passage, meaning a point in time occurrence. Literally, the Lord Jesus said, "If at any time, one eats of the Bread of life, he shall live forever from that moment." The believer can no more spiritually die again than can the Lord Jesus because we are saved by His life, or as the writer of Hebrews beautifully affirmed, "the power of an endless life" (Hebrews 7:16).
Such blessed assurance establishes our hearts in peace, leading us in the grace of relationship with God whereby we never look toward Heaven to know Him as anything other than Father. It also, however, imparts solemn responsibility, both to Him and to us. God could never grant a secure salvation wherein it does not matter what we do or do not do. He will not allow the integrity of His name to be sullied. Nor can we view our abiding relationship with Him in anything other than the most serious terms of living in a manner that honors the Lord Jesus. Our Heavenly Father chastens and scourges His beloved sons and daughters when necessary, first to maintain His integrity, and then, to reprove and correct us for our benefit (Hebrews 12:6). Recall that it was to believers that the writer of Hebrews warned, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31). Yes, to those alive forevermore in Christ, our Father will administer discipline to whatever degree necessary so that His glory will not be sullied, and so that we will not view our freely secured life in Christ as a license for irresponsibility. A "fearful thing" indeed.
Alive forevermore in Christ exults Paul, proclaiming our personal tomb as no less permanently empty than our Lord's. Let us rejoice as we walk in the peace and assurance of this "endless life." However, let us solemnly acknowledge that God will maintain His honor as He works in our lives. From the moment of our new birth, our lives represent Him, either well or poorly. We bear His name, and even more, His life. Let us take such responsibility with utmost seriousness, seeking to live accordingly, and to repent when and as necessary. We can be sure our Father takes His role seriously, and will in love administer both the pleasant and the painful for the glory of the Lord Jesus and our best interests.
"Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."
(Psalm 16:11)
"And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear, forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."
(I Peter 1:17-19)
Weekly Memory Verse
As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.
(John 1:12)
7086
No comments:
Post a Comment