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Walking Wisely
By Linda Rex
August 18, 2024, Proper 15 | After Pentecost—Often, it is as we deal with the consequences of our choices that we begin to grow in wisdom, and learn the significant life lessons we need to learn as we grow up in Christ. One of the interesting characters from biblical history is King Solomon. In our Old Testament reading for this Sunday, we see how King Solomon is invited by God to ask for anything he wants. King Solomon chooses, instead of wealth, fame, or power, to ask God for wisdom in order to properly judge his people. In response, God promises King Solomon wisdom. But since that’s all he asked for, the Lord also promises him many of the things he did not ask for (1 Kings 2:10–12, 3:3–14).
God kept his word to King Solomon. He became well known for his wisdom and also became powerful, famous, and rich. We find, though, that throughout his life, Solomon failed to pay close attention to the one thing which would have given him true wisdom—walking in God’s way, the same way his father David had walked. And because he missed the mark in this, Solomon ended his life far afield from the humble dependence upon God with which he had started. Upon his death, his kingdom was divided and all he worked for came to naught.
In our New Testament reading for this Sunday, Ephesians 5:15-20, the apostle Paul admonishes the members in Ephesia to be careful how they walk. They are to walk wisely, not unwisely, realizing the evil times they find themselves living in. In order to walk wisely, they need to understand the will of God. Paul encourages them to be filled with the Spirit and to give thanks, no matter what they face, in the name of Jesus to our heavenly Father. In understanding the will of God, they are to live each day filled with the Spirit and with praise and gratitude in their hearts and on their lips. As we read Paul’s message, we discover that God’s wisdom looks a lot different than what we might immediately expect.
While it is good to have wisdom in dealing with the everyday issues of life, like King Solomon needed wisdom to deal with the everyday issues of reigning over Israel, the greater wisdom has to do with our relationship with our Father through Jesus in the Spirit. In our New Testament passage for this Sunday, Jesus tells his listeners that in order to have true life, they need to eat his flesh and drink his blood (John 6:51–58). Keeping in mind that the religious teaching of these people said that eating human flesh and drinking human blood was a sacrilegious practice, we can understand why Jesus’ listeners struggled with what he was saying. Wisdom, according to human understanding, said they were to avoid eating and drinking of Jesus. But true, divine wisdom said they were to partake of Christ in an ongoing way, if they wanted true life. Which was the truth?
We are reminded that Jesus said that he is “the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn. 14:6) He taught us that the Spirit of truth would lead us into all truth (Jn. 16:13). And that truth would set us free (Jn. 8:32). Where do we turn when we are uncertain as to how to walk wisely? We turn to Jesus Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24). Jesus Christ, the Son of God in human flesh, who lived our life, died our death, and rose again, is the embodiment of true wisdom. He gives us himself in the Spirit so that we can, by the Spirit, participate in his perfect and complete wisdom.
When we struggle with choices, decisions, relationships, and so many other troubles, we find our rest in the One who has gone before us and who holds within himself the truth of our human experience and existence, glorified in the presence of our heavenly Father in the Spirit. This is why the apostle Paul tells us to “be filled with the Spirit.” This is a continuous event—we keep on being filled anew with God’s Spirit, the indwelling presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and his Father. As we open ourselves up to the heavenly Spirit of God, we participate in the wisdom of God, and find ourselves participating in Christ’s own life in relationship with his Father, and expressing our gratitude and praise in response. This is the life of faith, life in the Spirit, which we were designed and redeemed to live in, now and on into the new heaven and earth. What a gift God has given us! In Christ, we have been given true wisdom, as we continually open ourselves up to and receive his Spirit. As we live and walk in the Spirit rather than according to our human wisdom, we experience real life, life in the Spirit—and this is what we were created for.
Dear heavenly Father, we recognize that our human wisdom falls far short of what we need in order to truly live as you desire. Grant us the grace to turn to Jesus for the wisdom you offer. We open ourselves up anew to your Spirit, that we may be filled anew, in Jesus’ name, with your perfect wisdom. Amen.
“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;” Ephesians 5:15–20 NASB
“ ‘I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.’ Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, ‘How can this man give us His flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.’ ” John 6:51–58 NASB
“In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, ‘Ask what you wish me to give you.’ Then Solomon said, ‘You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?’ It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days.’ ” 1 Kings (2:10–12), 3:(3–4), 5–14 NASB
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Pushing Away God’s Love
By Linda Rex
August 11, 2024, Proper 14—Last week I wrote about our role as members of the body of Christ, the Church (meaning the universal, all-encompassing, cross-denominational and cross-distinctives body of Christ). In our current culture, a group of people from all walks of life, backgrounds, and ways of being who live together in unity and other-centered love is in many ways a countercultural entity. People who have lived much of their lives in a very individualistic, self-absorbed manner may find it very challenging to be warmly embraced and invited into close relationship. In fact, it may feel invasive and even frightening to some people.
Over the years, I discovered that one reason we may push away such a welcoming, inclusive experience is because we are afraid that if we let anyone get close, they may discover what we are really like and reject us. What God has called his Church to be is the place where people are fully known, yet fully loved and accepted. The body of Christ, the Church, is meant to be a safe place for all God’s children. Unfortunately, the Church too often has been the place where when someone opens up and begins to get real, they are condemned, criticized, and or rejected. We do this in our families and in our other relationships, but this is not the way God treats us—so we should not treat each other in this way either.
In the New Testament passage for this Sunday, Ephesians 4:25–5:2, the apostle Paul describes what it looks like when people live together in the union and communion of the Triune life and love. As they live in these ways, they imitate the being and inner life of our Father and his Son in the Spirit.
What does this way of living together look like? Paul says that people are honest with one another—they practice truth-telling in love. They do not allow anger or rage to rule, for they do not want the evil one to have a chance to cause harm or division. They work hard, rather than steal, so they can help others out. The words they say build each other up, and they avoid any kind of slander, malice, or bitterness. They are always forgiving and kind to one another, no matter what may be going on in their lives. Living and walking in this way does not grieve the Spirit, for it is a reflection of the very union and communion of the Father with his Son in the Spirit.
When we look at our relationships within the body of Christ, especially when we look cross-denominationally or across lines of distinctions, do they manifest this kind of unity and love? What about in our own marriages and families? And what about our relationships with people outside the Church—how do we relate to people who do not yet believe in Christ? When I am honest with myself, I have to admit that too often I have fallen far short from being a true imitation of the divine Being.
Thankfully, this is where grace through faith comes in. And this is where we are privileged through Jesus to offer grace to one another. The reality is that whatever our life is in Christ by the Spirit, it is grounded in the love of God in Christ and in the grace that is ours through what Jesus did in his life, death, resurrection, and ascension. We are so grateful that we are held in Christ in his own face-to-face fellowship with his Father in the Spirit, so that even when we miss the mark, our own fellowship with God is unshaken. The Lord ever draws us back into that place of union and communion, while by his Spirit, he works to form Christ in us.
Evil constantly seeks opportunities to separate, divide, disrupt, confuse, and destroy all that is good, holy, and unified. We are constantly pressed upon by people and circumstances whose sole purpose is to steal or ruin or kill anything in our lives that may reflect the divine Being of Father, Jesus, Spirit—Three Persons in One Being. Still, the Spirit ever works to bring unity and oneness, while, like a parasite on all that is good, the evil one ever works to bring division and discord. At times, we participate in either direction, and we reap the consequences of our choices in this regard. But Jesus continues to invite us to follow him wherever he leads, and by his Spirit, he always leads us down the path to unity, oneness, love, and grace. And he holds us, now and forever, in his own face-to-face union and communion with his Father in the Spirit. This is our comfort and our peace.
Like Jesus, our fellowships of faith are called by God to be places where the Spirit is not grieved, but joyfully shares with us the divine fellowship of union and communion which is ours in Christ. As we gather together to worship God in Spirit and in truth, may we mirror more and more accurately the life and love of our Father, Jesus, and Spirit, and may we welcome warmly, gently, and wisely those who enter in, seeking a safe place to participate in God’s life and love.
Heavenly Father, Jesus, Spirit, thank you for including us in your life and love. We are ever in need of your forgiveness, for we are so often poor reflections of you. But by your Spirit, you are ever working. We trust you to finish what you have begun, through Jesus in the Spirit. Amen.
“Therefore, laying aside falsehood, ‘speak truth each one’ of you ‘with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another. ‘Be angry, and’ yet ‘do not sin’; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” Ephesians 4:25–5:2 NASB
“Faking it and lying to one another was part of the old life; now truth remains the constant inspiration in your every conversation. We are related to one another like different parts in the same body. (Which means that cheating one another would be cheating yourself! …) Even if you think you have a valid excuse, do not let anger dominate your day! If you don’t deal with it immediately (in the light of the likeness of Christ in you) the sun sets for you and your day becomes one of lost opportunity where darkness employs anger to snare you into sin. Any sin that you tolerate is an open invitation to the devil. Do not give him a platform to operate from. If you were a thief before, you are one no more. Find an honest joy where the fruit of your labor can be a blessing to others! Instead of cheap talk, your mouth is now a fountain of grace, giving encouragement and inspiration to everyone within earshot. The Holy Spirit is your signet ring from God to confirm that you are redeemed to live your life in the light of day; any conduct that belongs to the night grieves him. Take up the strongest possible position against every form of distorted behavior in your own life. Do not allow yourself to be spiteful; outbursts of violent emotion and rage do not become you. You don’t have to shout in order to make your point. People must feel safe in your conversation; therefore, slander and hurtful words (blasphemy) are out! Be inspired by kindness and compassion; your forgiving one another when you might feel irritated and frustrated demonstrates the way God graciously treated us in Christ. Mirror God; you are his offspring. (2 Cor. 3:18.) This is how; let the love of Christ be your life; remember how he abandoned himself to us. His love is contagious, not reluctant but extravagant. Sacrificial love pleases God like the sweet aroma of worship.” Ephesians 4:25–5:2 Mirror Bible
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Brought Together
By Linda Rex
July 21, 2024, Proper 11 | After Pentecost—I believe one of the most painful and difficult things a person can experience in their life is estrangement from other members of their family. Perhaps the reason this pain is so acute is because we were not created for estrangement, but for unity and oneness. At times, each one of us experiences this sense of separation or alienation from those who are meant to be close to us. Have you ever considered that this is the way God feels towards us when we push him away and refuse his offer of reconciliation and restoration?
In our New Testament reading for this Sunday, Ephesians 2:13-22, the apostle Paul talks about this very thing. Our Triune God created human beings to live in face-to-face relationship with himself and others. So often, our decision as humans is to live life in our own way, on our own terms, and under our own power. Even though we only exist because of God’s gracious creation and provision, and constant sustaining of our existence, we often choose to live as self-sustaining deities who set our own agenda and seek our own pleasure. But God created us for so much more than this. We were created to share in God’s love and life, to participate in all God is doing in this cosmos. We were created for close face-to-face relationship with God and one another. And this is why Jesus came—to ensure that nothing came in the way of us sharing in God’s life and love.
In Ephesians, the apostle Paul addresses the ongoing conflict between believers who were born as Jews, the ‘Circumcised’, and those who were born as non-Jews, ‘the Uncircumcised.’ The non-Jews had been excluded from fellowship within the people of God, and the apostle Paul was trying to help the church in Ephesia to see that all previous barriers between Jews and non-Jews had been eliminated in Jesus Christ. The rituals and traditions which held them apart had been fulfilled in Jesus and removed in his death on the cross. As God in human flesh, Jesus took the place of both Jew and non-Jew, offering himself in our place on our behalf.
Having assumed in his own human flesh all of our humanness, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, broke down all the artificial divisions we tend to place between one another—race, ethnicity, class, status, wealth, and so on. Jesus took all the distinctions we like to make to separate ourselves from one another, including our definitions of sin and evil, and in his human flesh, took them to the cross and crucified them. As God in human flesh, Jesus Christ brought each and every human into right relationship with his Father in the Spirit, creating the peace between God and man, and between humans, we so desperately need.
When we find ourselves at odds with those we are meant to be in close relationship with, we tend to focus on our differences and distinctions, and on the hurts we may have received from that person. We tend to take a very human-centered approach to our relational differences. Instead, Paul calls us to turn away from ourselves and our differences and to turn to our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who holds within himself our uniqueness, our distinctiveness, and our forgiveness. Jesus Christ has made himself the central meeting point between every person, no matter who they might be.
By the Spirit, we discover that Christ is real and present in and with each person, even though that person may not realize or believe in Jesus or what he has done on their behalf. Jesus is present by the Spirit, though hidden underneath layers of human frailty and sin. We must look beyond the surface to see Jesus is present. This is why Jesus can say to us, ‘love your enemies’ or ‘do good to those who abuse you.’ It’s not because he ignores sin and evil, but that he has triumphed over them in the cross and is working his life out in us by his heavenly Spirit. We are all brought together in Jesus, in his flesh, crucified on the cross, and brought up again in new life. Every human being has died in Christ and has risen in Christ—this is our union and communion with God and with one another. This is why we turn away from ourselves and put our faith in him and in his finished work, and allow him to live his life in and through us by his Holy Spirit.
In the midst of our divisions and disunity, Jesus calls us to himself, asking us to turn away from ourselves, our will, our ways, and to turn to him—the one who bought us relational peace in his own person. This is repentance. He calls us to trust in him and not in our own efforts. This is faith. He gives us his Spirit to bind us together with himself and with one another in unity. He gives us new life—life in the Spirit, rather than in our flesh.
When our relationships are hard and we can’t seem to find unity, this is when we are reminded to turn away from ourselves to Jesus Christ. When we place our faith in him and not in our human efforts, we will discover ourselves bound together with unbreakable cords of love which have their source in the Holy Spirit and not in ourselves. As we respond to the Spirit’s work in our hearts and lives, we will find ourselves swept up into the inner fellowship of our Father and his Son, Jesus, in the Spirit. And that is where we belong, and always will remain, as God’s dear children.
Dear Father, Jesus, Spirit, thank you for loving us so much that you never want anything to come between us and yourself. Thank you for your faithfulness and kindness to us, even when we are so undeserving. Please grant us the grace to turn to you and away from ourselves, to put our faith solely in you, and to warmly embrace your indwelling presence by your Spirit, through Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
“Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called ‘Uncircumcision’ by the so-called ‘Circumcision,’ which is performed in the flesh by human hands—remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into done new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. ‘and He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near;’ for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:11–22 NASB
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God’s Lavish Grace
By Linda Rex
July 14, 2024, Proper 10 | After Pentecost—In my view, one very inspiring passage with regards to God’s grace is the New Testament passage for this Sunday, Ephesians 1:3-14. In this opening eulogy (which in Greek is one very long sentence), the lavish grace of God is celebrated and extolled by the apostle Paul.
As Paul blesses the God who has blessed all of us “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” we are swept up into adoration and worship of the Triune God who has brought us into relationship with himself through Jesus in the Spirit. You might wish to stop and take a moment to underline or mark each time Paul uses the expression “in Christ” or “in him” or something similar in this pericope. In this short passage, which celebrates the passionate and lavish love of our heavenly Father, we find that his beloved Son, Jesus, is central to our redemption, salvation, and glorification. It is in Jesus Christ that we find ourselves lavishly gifted and included in his own relationship with his Father in the Spirit. All human effort drops off into the pool of participation in Christ, and we find ourselves swept up into and included in Jesus’ own life with his Abba in the Spirit.
Here, in the midst of this blessing, we discover the magnitude and depths of God’s love for us. God’s passionate affection for us, his creatures, is expressed by his choice that we be holy and blameless before him—in Christ, before the foundation of the world. We discover that God always meant for us to be his adopted children. God always meant for us to live in union and communion with himself in the Spirit. So, in Christ, he did all that was necessary for this to occur, enabling us to be who he created us to be, inheritors of salvation, participants in God’s life and love by the heavenly Spirit.
The concept of adoption in this passage points to a couple of things. First, in the Mirror Bible, the translator says that the word for sonship or adoption, huiothesia, refers more to a coming of age rather than the idea of Roman adoption. According to this metaphor, in Christ, our humanity comes to its fullest and most profound expression. The fulfillment of all God meant for us as human beings is found in Jesus Christ, the one who is fully God and fully man, who has lived our life, died our death, and risen again, sending us the Spirit so we may share in his divine perfections and in his own face-to-face communion with his Father in the Spirit.
Secondly, as other commentators point out, in the Roman culture of that day a newborn child was often placed at the father’s feet. The father then chose whether to keep or discard the child. Such a child could be rejected or disinherited at any point in his or her life, depending upon the father’s choice. In contrast, in the Roman culture of that day, an adoption was a difficult and expensive process, and once done, could not be undone. Therefore, an adopted child was always included in the family and could never be disinherited. In this metaphor, God’s passionate love for us as his children is expressed in his selection of us, but going even beyond that, in his adoption of us as his very own. In this way, adoption, and even sonship, become powerful metaphors for the lavish love and grace of our heavenly Father, when it comes to our inclusion in God’s life and love.
When we take the time to meditate on this passage, it is inspiring to consider how much God, from before time began, considered us. When we believe that God doesn’t even realize we exist or that he doesn’t really care, we should look at the broad horizon of our human existence, however long it may be. And as we do this, we want to go even farther back, before all that. Before time began, we were on God’s mind and heart, and he was planning for us. Like parents planning for the coming of a newborn child, our heavenly Father excitedly planned for our existence, creating through his Son by the Spirit a world in which we could live, explore, and grow into maturity. And our Triune God planned for our turning away into sin and death, knowing that he, in Christ, held the key for our ultimate redemption, salvation, and glorification. Our Father’s purposes and plans will be realized in spite of our failures and shortcomings, because we are in Christ and have been given, and in him have received, the Holy Spirit. And this is why, even when life looks dark, we have hope.
Dear Trinity, thank you for including us in your life and love. Thank you for lavishing your grace upon us, through all you have done from before time, are doing even now, and will do in the world to come. Awaken us to the abundance of all the spiritual blessings which are ours in you, our blessed Father, Jesus, and Spirit. Amen.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:3–14 NASB
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The Grace of Giving
By Linda Rex
June 30, 2024, Proper 8 | After Pentecost—As I grow older, I find that I am more and more aware of how far my actions and behavior are from my ideals and beliefs. One of the areas in my life where this is true is the area of giving.
In our New Testament passage for this Sunday, 2 Corinthians 8:7–15, the apostle Paul reminds the members in Corinth about a gift they had pledged to give their sister church in Jerusalem. The members in Jerusalem were suffering through some hard times, while their brothers and sisters in Corinth were prospering. Paul was encouraging the Corinthians to follow through with their pledge and to help their needy brothers and sisters.
What did the apostle Paul use as the basis for his request? He went back to the foundation of all our giving—the realization that Jesus gave all for us. The One who had everything—the Son of God who had all the benefits and blessings of eternal glory with his Father in the Spirit—left his abundance behind to join us in our broken human flesh. In Jesus Christ, the Son of God dwelt among humans as a human being, and experienced the poverty of our existence. He who had everything became poor, that in his poverty, we might be made rich. We find our spiritual wealth in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ and his gift of the Spirit. He paid the ultimate price, gave it all up, for our sakes.
In the light of this, Paul says that we are to give as we are able, to care for and help others. For what purpose? For the sake of equality. This is an interesting point. He doesn’t say that it’s wrong or bad to be wealthy, but that wealth provides an opportunity to help lift others up. Neither does Paul say that poverty is bad, but rather, it provides an open door for creating communion—a place where those who have can bless those who have not, to bring the two together in unity. The goal is not that everyone is the same but that each has what they need.
The divine Persons of the Trinity are each unique but are equal and yet are one. They created us as human beings to be equals. But inevitably, we find ways in which we elevate ourselves at the expense of others. We push others down, that we may be raised up. Our goal should not be to do this, but to follow Christ—the One who came down, lowered himself down into the place where we are, to bring us up to where he is in glory. This is the calling he has given each of us—to be turned outward, toward others, not to push them down or keep them beneath us, but to lift them up, so there is equality. We are designed to live as unique equals in union and communion with God and one another.
So back to my comment about ideals and actions. In this life, it is a real challenge to live this out. There are so many things demanding our attention, so many responsibilities, and so many opportunities. All around are possibilities, ways to spend our money, to use our time, and to occupy our attention. It’s possible to spend every moment from the time we wake up to the time we close our eyes in sleep attending to what’s right in front of us without ever noticing that all around us are people in need. It is so easy to be so self-absorbed that we never attend to the need that others may have to be lifted up into a space beside us, to share life with us, and to be included in the unity and oneness of our life in the Trinity.
And the greatest need of each and every person here on earth is to know that they are loved, accepted, forgiven, and included in God’s life and love. Yes, they have physical needs too. In Paul’s day, the needs the Corinth church helped with were food, clothing, and shelter. Their financial contribution ensured that their poverty-stricken brothers and sisters would have the basics of physical life. In the same way, we can look at the blessings the Lord has given us and find ways to enable those with less to have what they truly need.
It is Christ’s life in us by the Spirit who enables us to see those around us with new eyes, and to recognize opportunities to lift others up out of their need, to join us where we are. It is God’s Spirit at work in us who enables us to do this. Giving is a grace of the Spirit. Our ability to recognize a need and to actively work to fill that need, comes from God himself—the One who saw our need as poverty-stricken human beings, and came in Jesus Christ to lift us up to life with our Triune God, now and forever. How might we open ourselves up more completely to the indwelling Spirit, so that God can lift others up to share in the Triune life and love?
Thank you, dear Trinity, for your selfless generosity toward us in our brokenness and need. Thank you, dear Jesus, for generously offering yourself to us so that we might join with you in your life with your Father in the Spirit. Grant us the grace to love others as you have loved us, by being generous and helpful to those in need, in your name, Jesus, by your Spirit. Amen.
“But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also. I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it. But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality— at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality; as it is written, ‘He who’ gathered ‘much did not have too much, and he who’ gathered ‘little had no lack.’ ” 2 Corinthians 8:7–15 NASB
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On Behalf of Others
By Linda Rex
June 16, 2024, Proper 6 | After Pentecost—As part of my morning routine, I often read a chapter out of a book on theology or the Christian faith. My most recent book has been Hidden in Contradiction by Jeff McSwain, which I am rereading. In the chapter I read this morning, New and Old, Jeff talks about our New Testament passage for this Sunday, 2 Corinthians 5:6–10, 14–17.
Jeff shows how we often read the last portion of this passage, “the old things passed away; behold, new things have come”, and assume that this means that when we come to faith in Christ, we are made new, so we will never repeat the old ways we were caught up in before. This doesn’t wholly reflect the reality of our walk in Christ, for any of us who are honest with ourselves and others, and are truthful before God, know that our thought-life and daily walk very often do not fully measure up to the goodness and glory of God we were created to reflect.
Jeff’s point in this chapter is that because all persons died with Christ and rose with Christ, we are all caught up in the reality of the already-not-yet of God’s kingdom. By faith we walk in the new life which is ours, which is “hidden with Christ in God.” But in our broken flesh, we still find ourselves at times walking in old ways, those ways which Jesus crucified on the cross and buried with himself in the grave, those things we are dead to. Just as Jesus is now fully God and fully man, right now we live daily in that place where all that God created us to be and redeemed us to is true, but we are still having to experience and live in the false self, the “old man” as the apostle Paul calls it. We are growing up in Christ, maturing in our faith, becoming more and more who God created us to be, but we will never fully reflect the divine nature until Jesus returns in glory and we are changed. Then all God created us to be will be fully revealed.
This is the paradox which we find difficult to understand or live in. This may be why the apostle Paul said that he would rather be “absent from the body” and “at home with the Lord”. If you are like me, there are times when this life, and our tendency to drift towards the things of this passing temporal existence, grieve us, and we long to be freed. We want to be with Jesus forever, living in the glorious, joyful bliss of God’s heavenly kingdom here on earth. The good news is that even though we will continue to live in this broken existence for a time, not only is our future life with Christ certain, but we can begin to experience moments of God’s kingdom joy and peace even now in this life by the Spirit. We participate in God’s life and mission on this earth as part of our everyday existence, even when it seems that we cannot get it right and we find ourselves breaking faith with God and others.
What holds us together and keeps us moving forward in hope is the precious gift God has given to us in his Son and in his Spirit. It is God’s love which drives us on and compels us to not only live out his kingdom life in this world, but also to share it with others. God’s love for us is so profound, so great and wonderful, that we find we want to share this good news with others. We don’t want to keep it all to ourselves.
And that is truly the heart of God, as Father, Son, and Spirit. This triune God, who for all eternity, lives in other-centered, self-giving love, was willing to do something tremendous and unthinkably amazing on behalf of his creatures and his creation. Indeed, on behalf of all of us, for our sake, the Son of God set aside the privileges of divinity for a time to join us in our humanity, in order to bring us home into the inner fellowship of Father, Son, and Spirit. And in Christ, that is where we are all today.
Our hope is in Christ, in his finished work, in what he has done, is doing, and will do. God’s motive of other-centered, self-giving, sacrificial love is what motivates each of us to be other-centered, self-giving, and sacrificial. When you see this kind of love being expressed, God is the source of such love, whether the person knows or understands it, or not. As we see God’s love being expressed in these ways, we are called to bear witness to it—to testify to the beauty and wonder of God’s love. And, as we respond to the leading of the Spirit, we will find ourselves living and serving, on behalf of others. And by doing this, that we reflect the glory of God, and his Son, in the Spirit. We live in the truth of who we are as his beloved children. Praise his holy name!
Heavenly Triune God, thank for all you have done on our behalf. By your Spirit, enable us to live, not for ourselves, but for you, Lord Jesus—you who died and rose on our behalf. Grant us the grace to live our lives as you have, on behalf of others. In your name, Jesus, we pray. Amen.
“Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight—we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:6–10 (11–13) 14–17 NASB
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Spreading Grace
By Linda Rex
June 9, 2024, Proper 5 | After Pentecost—In last week’s blog, I wrote about how God’s treasure, his glorious presence, is hidden in these jars of clay or shells, as human beings, and how, by the Spirit, Jesus is made manifest to those around us. We are faced, as those who follow Christ, with the challenge of responding to Jesus’ command to lay down our lives, to pick up our cross, and to follow him.
In this Sunday’s passage, 2 Corinthians 4:13–5:1, the apostle Paul tells the members at Corinth that his message of the good news of Jesus Christ was birthed in the “spirit of faith” which compelled him. His ministry of sharing the gospel was other-centered, spreading the grace of God through Jesus Christ to more and more people, so that thanksgiving would abound to God’s own glory. Paul looked forward with great anticipation to the day when he and those he was sharing the message with would rise with Christ and be presented to God.
What is interesting to me about this passage is how the apostle Paul goes on to talk about the challenges he experienced as he shared the good news of Jesus Christ with others. He calls these “light affliction”, even though he experienced beatings, shipwreck, persecution, and rejection. In comparison with Paul’s experiences in his mission ministry, I find that my struggles are nothing in comparison. For example, this morning, as I started to do the Our Life in the Trinity tasks, the power went off in my home and was off until this evening. This inconvenience made doing my tasks very difficult, but it is nothing in comparison with the true difficulties the apostle Paul faced in his ministry.
Paul reminded the members at Corinth that even though we grow older and more fragile in our external being, our internal being is being renewed day by day. The false self, which died with Christ, is only temporal and will not last. One day it will be gone forever. The new self, which rose with Christ, is eternal, ever becoming more solidified in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us. When we die, that which is temporal and has died with Christ will be replaced with our true self—that which is hidden with Christ in God. Our true self will live eternally in the new heaven and new earth, when God comes to dwell with man.
It is this hope planted firmly in our minds and hearts that inspires us to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others. As the Holy Spirit enables us to see this picture of our life in Christ, both now and forever, we are moved to talk about it. What has so profoundly changed our lives and given us a new vision of God and of the future compels us to spread the grace of God to more and more people. The result is a groundswell of thanksgiving and praise, all for the glory of God.
If we are honest with ourselves, we can see that too often our focus is not on the eternal realities, but on the temporal, passing pleasures or struggles of this life. Paul reminds us to focus on what will last forever, not on what will disappear one day. This is a real challenge for us, for what can be seen, tasted, felt, heard, or done is what occupies our attention more than what may be going on inside of us or in the hearts of others. Unless we make the effort to attend to the spiritual realities, we may live in ways that are indifferent or inobservant to what is most important. We may miss out on the joy of participating in what God is doing in this world as he brings many people to himself to participate in the grace of God through his Son Jesus Christ by the Spirit.
When we keep our eyes and hearts on the passing, temporal concerns of this life, it is easy to lose heart. Paul encourages us to remember the spiritual realities, our grounding in Christ, in his life, death, resurrection and ascension, and all that means for us. This grace moves us to thanksgiving and praise, and our faith in Christ compels us to share the good news with others. As we gather to share this journey in Christ, we find ourselves participating in the divine life and love, experiencing a foretaste of the joy we will experience one day when Jesus returns in glory.
Dear Trinity, thank you for sharing your life and love with us through Jesus in your Spirit. Grant us the grace to pay attention to what really matters, and to keep our eyes on you. May your grace spread out into all the world and may you be fully glorified, now and forever, as all give thanks to you, through Jesus our Lord. Amen.
“But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed, therefore I spoke,’ we also believe, therefore we also speak, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” 2 Corinthians 4:13–5:1 NASB
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Fear or Faith
By Linda Rex
May 26, 2024—Holy Trinity | After Pentecost—One of the things I’ve noticed lately has been how often our decisions, our behavior, and our attitudes are governed by fear. Often, when I ask someone what they are afraid of, they completely deny that there is any fear involved at all. They deny that fear has anything to do with why they are acting a certain way or saying particular things, even though it is obvious to others that they are afraid.
In our New Testament reading for Holy Trinity Sunday, Romans 8:12–17, the apostle Paul points out the difference between slavery and sonship. He says that a spirit of slavery has its basis in fear, whereas, a spirit of sonship is based in love. What God has given us through Christ in the Spirit is a participation in the love of Father, Son, and Spirit. This means there is no reason for us to be afraid or to have a sense of fear in regards to God.
But often, the way in which we live our lives and make our decisions is rooted in fear. Because we do not know God well and trust him in every circumstance, we find ourselves immobilized, unable to courageously move forward. Or, we sense a thousand and one reasons why everything is going to go wrong or has gone awry, because we simply cannot believe that God is present, real, and loves us unconditionally, completely, and ceaselessly.
Our response as a result of fear rather than of faith often looks more like slavery than love. Indeed, when we are fearful, we tend to gravitate towards actions and words that will give us a feeling of control or mastery in the situation. We create rules or expectations or standards by which we measure our standing. We assess whether or not we are safe or are okay in our relationships with God or others. When taken to its worst end, fear blinds us to the reality of God’s love and grace, preventing us from living and walking in the truth of who we are as God’s beloved children. Indeed, fear often drives our responses, and its ultimate affect is destructive and unhealthy for us, creating division, pain, death, and isolation in our relationships. And this is not God’s desire for us.
If we sense fear within ourselves or realize that our decisions and how we are responding to situations is being driven by fear, we need to reconsider where we stand in relation to our Triune God. It takes a measure of humility and self-awareness to admit that perhaps we are driven by fear rather than living out of a heart filled with the love of God in Christ by the Spirit. Are we willing to admit that we are responding out of fear rather than simply trusting in our loving, gracious God?
How well do we know our God who is Father, Son, and Spirit? It is our God who is love, living in our hearts, who drives out the fear which seeks to take up residence within. In our life today, our hearts may be given over to fear or given over to love—we have both at work in our human flesh right now. But the apostle Paul says that we have no obligation to live in fear or to allow fear to be the driving force within. One day fear will be removed forever, but meanwhile, suffering will occur and fear will challenge our trust in our Triune God.
Indeed, we are new creations. We have been given God’s Spirit, the presence of God living in us, filling us with his love. We have no obligation to the deeds of death. Rather, we are bound by the Spirit to live and walk in love, for this is the truth of who we are as image-bearers of Christ. It is Jesus’ life in us by the Spirit which motivates us. God’s love poured out on and in us in the Spirit pours out from us to those around us. In this place of divine love and grace, there is no room left for fear. This is why we turn to Jesus, and open ourselves to the Holy Spirit. God’s perfect love casts out our fear and gives us faith.
The Holy Spirit, given to us by Jesus from the Father, binds our hearts and our spirits with God, uniting us and making us one. In the Spirit, resonating within us, is the affection between the Father and the Son, as we hear within our heart Jesus’ own “Abba, Father.” In this safe place, held in God’s love and life, we are free from fear. We rest our head on the chest of our loving Father, and feel the loving arms of our Lord Jesus, and the kiss of the Spirit on our cheek. In the embrace of the holy Trinity, there is no room left for fear.
Dearest Father, Jesus, Spirit, thank you for wrapping us in your warm embrace of love and grace. Enable us to see and confess our fear, to turn towards you in faith, and to allow you to fill us with your perfect love. Grant us the grace to rest in your grace and love, through Jesus and by your Spirit. Amen.
“So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” Romans 8:12–17 NASB
“We owe flesh nothing. In the light of all this, to now continue to live under the sinful influences of the senses, is to reinstate the dominion of spiritual death. Instead, we are indebted to now exhibit the highest expression of life inspired by the Spirit. This life demonstrates zero tolerance to the habits and sinful patterns of the flesh. The original life of the Father revealed in his Son is the life the Spirit now conducts within us. Slavery is such a poor substitute for sonship. They are opposites; the one leads forcefully through fear while sonship responds fondly to Abba Father. We are not slaves to a cruel taskmaster but gifted with the spirit of sonship; engaging the tender affection of Papa without any reserve. Holy Spirit personally entwines our spirit; resonating ceaselessly within, endorsing Abba’s parenthood. The fact that we are God’s offspring, certainly also means that we are equal heirs of God. Not only is God our portion, but we are his. We are co-heirs in Christ. So, whatever we may suffer, at any time could separate us from our inclusion in his sufferings. Thus, every reminder of this mystery, also reinforces the fact that we have been made equal participants in the glory of his resurrection.” Romans 8:12–17 Mirror Bible
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A Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation
By Linda Rex
May 12, 2024, Ascension Sunday | Easter—This Sunday, as we reach the end of the Easter season, we pause to consider the ascension of Jesus Christ. This often overlooked celebration is actually an important part of the Christian calendar. Jesus Christ did not just rise from the grave, bringing all of humanity through death into resurrection. He also ascended, to be seated at the Father’s right hand in glory in the fellowship of the Spirit.
Apart from the ascension, our human flesh would not have been brought home with the resurrected Jesus into face to face union with his Father in the Spirit. Apart from Jesus’ ascension, we would not have been sent the gift of the Holy Spirit sent from his Father. It is the Spirit through whom Jesus and his Father come to dwell in each of us. By faith, the Spirit makes our very own what Jesus has forged for us all in his life, death, resurrection, and ascension. And the coming of the Spirit is what we celebrate on Pentecost, which will be next Sunday, May 19th.
The apostle Paul, in our New Testament reading for Ascension Sunday, records how he constantly prays for the church members in the various congregations to whom this circular letter was sent. Paul is very grateful to God for their faith in the Lord Jesus. The apostle’s most urgent plea is for those hearing the letter to be given “a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.” The only way that any of us can come to know God, or come to understand his calling, his power, or his glory, is by God’s Spirit giving us enlightenment. And Paul says that this is only possible because of the resurrection power which brought Jesus up from death at work in each of us by the Holy Spirit. As we pray for enlightenment, for ourselves or others, God begins to open our minds and hearts up to the truth.
Paul also acknowledges that whatever we may do as those gathering in Jesus’ name, we do only as participants in Jesus’ life with his Father in the Spirit. His heavenly Father has placed all things under Jesus’ feet, and made him head of the church, which is made up of those who by faith are united with Jesus in his death and resurrection. Consider for a moment what it means that God in Christ is reigning over all.
Then consider even more deeply what it means that human flesh in Jesus Christ is reigning over all. The ramifications of this are mind-blowing. But isn’t that the way God always meant it to be? From the beginning, God intended human beings to participate with him in reigning over all he had made. He gave humans the responsibility to tend the earth, to be stewards of all he had made. But we chose to go our own way and to follow the lead of the evil one, who ever stands in opposition to God and seeks to divide, destroy, ruin, and enslave at every point. The evil one, who does not submit to God’s will and God’s love, is ever drawing us to follow him and obey his will or our own self-will instead.
No matter how powerful or intense the evil one is, he cannot stand against what God has done for humankind in the person of Jesus Christ. In Jesus, now, human beings are united with God in a way where they will never be separated, ever. Jesus has and will forevermore, be fully human and fully God. We, as Paul says, are God’s portion. We are God’s inheritance. What God has done in the Lord Jesus Christ, he has done for each and every person, whether they know it or believe it or not. The gift has been purchased, wrapped and sent—will we leave in on the desk and never touch it? Will we push it away and refuse it? Or will we simply rip it open and begin to enjoy the benefits of this precious gift each and every moment of the rest of our life.
Moving our thoughts away from ourselves at this point is critical. Here we look at the example of Paul and his heart towards those who would hear the words in this circular letter. He was praying that they not only would receive the gift given, but that they would revel in it and be able to experience the full benefits of the gift they were given in Jesus Christ. As we go about our daily lives, who might we pray this prayer for? How might our life in relationship with family, friends, and community be different if we prayed this prayer over those we encounter day by day? As we ask the Lord for his enlightenment, his wisdom, and all the other things Paul mentions here, perhaps we might also ask the Lord to give us heart to pray for others that they too to be given the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.
As we pray this prayer over those God puts in our minds and hearts, we may discover ourselves swept up into what Jesus is doing in this world by the Spirit. And we may find ourselves held in the midst of the life and love of our Father and his Son in the Spirit. And we can rejoice, for that is where we were always meant to be.
Heavenly Father, thank you for all those you have brought to yourself, and those you have created for your glory. May your precious Spirit enlighten each and every person. May you draw each one closer to you and bring them to a deeper faith in your Son Jesus. May your perfect love enable us to see and experience the resurrection power of Jesus at work in us and in the lives of those near us and dear to us, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
“For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:15–23 NASB
“Now He said to them, ‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.’ And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God.” Luke 24:44–53 NASB
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The Ultimate Victory
By Linda Rex
May 5, 2024, 6th Sunday in Easter—“I wish I had your faith,” a friend said to me. We had been talking about a change God had done in my life. The Lord had given me a totally new perspective about what it meant to follow Christ. And his grace had transformed my life.
The interesting thing about faith is that we cannot drum it up ourselves. We can only receive it as a gift from God. It is the faith of Jesus Christ that we need most, for only Jesus truly knows the trustworthiness, faithfulness, love, and goodness of the Triune God.
This Sunday’s reading in the New Testament, 1 John 5:1–6, speaks of the need to believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who lived in our human flesh, was crucified, and rose again. Bound up in the sacrificial self-offering of Jesus Christ is a profound expression of God’s love. As we believe, we receive this gift of love he offers us. This gift is God’s love poured out in the Spirit of truth. The Spirit bears witness within us to the reality that God has come to dwell in human hearts, through Jesus in the Spirit.
The love of God is poured out within our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5). It is Christ in us by the Spirit who is the law of God written on human hearts. It is Jesus’ own face-to-face relationship with his Father in the Spirit that we participate in. It is his triumph over evil, sin, and death that we share in. And we find within his victory our own victory over all that opposes God. This is the beauty of our new life in Christ.
Too often we focus on the dos and don’ts of our life in Christ. We focus on whether or not we (or others) are measuring up to the standards we believe God requires of us. We find ourselves trying to hide our failures to love. We stuff down inside, as best as we can, all those things we are ashamed of and feel guilty about. And they only seem to gain strength and power.
What we miss is the reality that, in Christ, we are who God has declared us to be—his very own beloved children. We cannot alter our inclusion in his life by our behavior or misbehavior. God’s love is unconditional. However, the reality is that our experience of his love is affected by our behavior or misbehavior. And we may need to be reawakened to the reality in which we exist.
When my toddler threw a temper tantrum, it did not change the reality that they were my beloved child. It did not alter my love for them or my desire to be with them and to have them in my life. It did require that I respond to them in the most loving way possible. They needed to know who they were—my beloved child—and that the behavior they were manifesting was out of sync with that reality. The reality was they could not continue their misbehavior and fully enjoy the fellowship of our family.
Every person who has ever lived was created to participate in God’s life and love. God has loved every person since before the foundation of the world. God knew we each tend to turn and go our own way. This has not altered his love for us. Rather, he has worked since before time began to ensure that nothing, not even our own stubborn disobedient wills, would stand in the way of us being able to participate in his life and love. For it is God’s purpose that every person be included in his life and love for all eternity.
We cannot do any of this on our own. Our own efforts as humans have sent us down the road to ruin, back to the nothingness out of which we were created. God is not willing that anyone perish, and so the Son of God came. Born of a woman, he lived a very human life in obedience to his Father, and died a painful, bloody death. And he rose from the grave to carry our human flesh with him into glory. Now we all are able by faith to participate in Jesus’ own life with his Father in the Spirit. Jesus sent the Spirit from the Father to us so he might live his life in and through us. We have been given Christ’s own life of faith, obedience, and right relationship with his Father, by the Spirit.
We stand with open hands and open hearts to receive this gift of God’s love and grace. We are God’s beloved children. He is our very own Father. Jesus, as our brother and friend, includes us in his own fellowship with his Father in the Spirit. And the Spirit says in our hearts, the words of the Father and Jesus, “I am yours, and you are mine.”
If you are struggling to believe, simply ask the Lord Jesus to give you his faith to believe. He will be happy to share everything he has with you, including the faith to believe.
We thank you, heavenly Father, for the gift of your Son and your Spirit. We ask for the grace to believe—free us from our unbelief. Enable us to leave each day, by your Spirit, in the truth of who we are as your beloved children, accepted, forgiven, redeemed, and renewed, through Jesus our Lord. Amen.
“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.” 1 John 5:1–6 NASB
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ, the incarnate begotten son of God, loves the Father and esteems the son with equal affection. In this knowing [of mankind’s co-genesis revealed in the Christ-incarnation,] we love the children of God with the same love that we have discovered in God; we treasure the conclusion of his prophetic purpose with affection. For the love of God is realized in the way we evaluate his precepts; if love’s triumph is the conclusion of every prophetic pointer, how can this be interpreted as an unbearable burden? Whatever is born of God is destined to triumph over the world system. Our faith celebrates a victory that is already accomplished! This is the ultimate victory: the certainty that the human Jesus is the divine son of God; (that he is indeed the incarnate Christ—and the central theme of both the Word that was before time was as well as the key to understanding all of Scripture. He is the Savior of the world. …) This is he who was to come; he arrived in the flesh via his mother’s womb—by water and blood—Jesus Christ. And in his ministry as the Christ, he was not only borne witness to by John the Baptist in the prophetic baptism of water, but he went all the way into his baptism of death, in his shed blood, where he died humanity’s death. And it is the Spirit that bears witness according to her own being, which is truth!” 1 John 5:1–6 Mirror Bible
[Printable copy: https://lifeinthetrinity.blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/olitthe-ultimate-victory.pdf ]
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