If you happen to live in a prosperous country, and follow a few common-sense rules, then you and your family and friends can have a pretty good life – whether or not God is important to you.
God has made it this way. It can be a wonderful world. What a wonderful world!
He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:45
Yesterday it was sunny, today it is raining. God has created our universe and everything in it. We all share in the natural things of life, both the sun and the rain, the good and the bad, the happy and the sad.
Jesus was making the point that the children of God should be different than the rest of the world. We all experience like circumstances, but as Christians we are to rise above our circumstances.
He closes out His teaching at the end of Matthew 5 this way:
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48 (bibleornot.org)
But what if you live in a poor country, where war and disease are prevalent, and where peace and joy elude you?
How can we turn such a life into something worth living?
Jesus provides an answer:
So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” John 10:7-18
There are many who offer quick fixes, and temporary help, but when the going gets too tough, or for the long haul, these people aren’t always there to help you. God uses people to help us, but in the long run we need more.
Jesus said that He came to lay down His life for His sheep.
Yes, there was someone who came into our world with the sole intention of living, dying and then living forever … for us. Yes, he did it for us! For all of us, if we are willing to accept Him.
Jesus died for us to gain eternal life for His followers. And the whole world could be followers if they wanted.
The proof of eternal life was His resurrection from the dead.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Revelation 1:17-18
Anyone who can predict his own death and resurrection, and then pull it off, has to be taken very seriously.
But it’s why he did this that is really powerful. Jesus died and rose again to life, in order to set us free from our sin and guilt, so that we could live with Him forever. It’s part of God’s plan that goes way back. Here’s the whole story:
For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith …
… 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all
men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where
there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the
transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Romans 4:13,22-5:17
You trust someone who knows what he’s talking about and who’s on your side. And that trust – that faith – goes all the way back to a promise that God gave to Abraham thousands of years ago, and then fulfilled that promise in Jesus – the descendant of Abraham through whom the promise would be realised. Jesus came as the fulfillment of a divine plan. Salvation unto eternal life, to all who believe and obey, is the result that flows from that fulfilled promise in Christ. A promise that takes care of our inability to live right on our own. Oh how we need that!
That’s why that Scripture above from Romans goes so far back in history. Faith in Jesus today connects us to God’s promise to Abraham in 2000 BC. God moved history to make it happen! What a God! What love!
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13-14.
Jesus is such a unique person. Jesus knew what he was talking about because he spoke only God’s words.
That He’s on our side is evident in His dying to take us to heaven.
Who else do we know who’d do that for us? Who could do that for us?
Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus can free us from the huge burden of sin and guilt that weighs us down. We’re tired and we need rest.
Jesus promises to take us where He Himself came from, and where he went after his resurrection: to heaven forever. Eternal rest.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” John 14:1-3.
Look at the assurances in that promise of heaven. Jesus would not lie to us. He wasn’t that sort of person.
Jesus gives us lots of commandments to follow so that we can live, in this world, the kind of life that He knows brings rewards for us.
His commandments are not onerous, because, if obeyed, they promise us the best life ever! In giving us His rules to live by, Jesus is inviting us to share in the greatest life of all: God’s life. Rules keep us on the right track, and God’s strength carries us through every setback, for Satan will always try to disrupt and destroy everything good.
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward. Psalm 19:7-11
If King David could say those beautiful words in Old Testament times, long before Jesus came along, how much truer are they today, now that Jesus has come and fulfilled that Law!! Matthew 5:17
So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” As he was saying these things, many believed in him. So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:28-32
Free from sin and guilt; free from uncertainty; free from unbearable burdens; free to live; free to love. Forever
David Hunter
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