"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of
his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." Romans 5:10
It's Christmastime so naturally we think of the Biblical account of Yahushua's birth in Bethlehem. Now while that is perhaps the most monumental event in human history, it pales in what was accomplished in the finished work and death of our Savior on Calvary. The Bible says by His Son's DEATH were we reconciled to Him and because of Yahushua's precious life, we shall be saved by the same.
Yahuwah our Heavenly Father, the only true God, had this in mind from the foundation of the world. He would have a way to reconcile us to Himself so that just like Abraham, we too can be called a Friend of God. When we did not serve or acknowledge our Father we were His enemies, choosing to serve ourselves as "gods" over and above Him. Once we have confessed His Son, we have become servants of the Almighty through Christ. However, Yahushua goes a step further to say that as we now know the Father through his teachings were are to be considered Friends of Yah!
"No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn't know what his
lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard
from my Father, I have made known to you." John 15:15
The chain of command is from the Father to His Son and then to us who believe. Our faith, not works is what saves. However if we do have such faith, we will want to do good as well. Likewise a servant does not concern him or herself with what their master does. However we who listen to and obey the words of Christ are friends of God because through Yahushua, we have heard from the Father. We know our Father's business.
We can and should ASK of God, everything that we may need. Jesus relates this in the following parable:
"Then He said to them, "Suppose one of you has a
friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, 'Friend, lend me
three loaves; 6for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him' Luke 11:5
Yahushua goes on to say that the friend will not get up and give you something because of the friendship. No your friend will supply as much as you want so you'll stop pestering him so he can go back to sleep! God never sleeps so He does this out of love if we ask in faith.
So next time you feel inadequate, defeated or discouraged look back on all of the good things God has already done for you as His friend. Realize that no weapon formed against you shall prosper. Minor setbacks are for a season, not a lifetime. If He has brought you through terrible times in the past, He's not about to abandon you now.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
Those who are called according to God's purpose are His friends!
Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some
to those who have nothing
prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do
not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10
The prophet Nehemiah wrote this to a repentant yet grieving Israel after they had learned just how far they had fallen from the Law of Moses.
So even today, we can be crushed by past sins, mistakes and simply missing the mark of prefect obedience and honoring God. That's what word "sin" really means. Like an archer who takes aim but misses the target. A Christian is someone who knows they are covered by the once for all time shedding of Yahushua's precious blood. He in fact is our Shabbat and makes every day sacred to his Father and our God. Back in Nehemiah's day, the temple system was set up to deal with the sins of God's covenant people. Animal sacrifice, abstaining from certain foods lest you become impure, and other rituals were part of daily like. This system, only foreshadowed the BETTER covenant which would come through Christ.
Sometimes we get too locked into technicalities. Some may say, "Well, that was the prophet talking to those particular people at THAT time." You totally miss the point that Yah is the same yesterday, today and forever! Guess what? God's mercies are still fresh and new every morning but now all of these blessings come through Christ, our only mediator.
"For there is only one God and likewise only one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus," 1 Timothy 2:5
So this is God's new and better covenant and new and better way of dealing with us and sin. That being the case, why would the joy of the Lord not be our strength today? That would defeat the whole purpose of a better covenant, wouldn't it?
But now He
has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator
of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. Hebrews 8:2
So always remember to rejoice in the Lord, no matter what things may look like in the natural. This an amazing source of strength if we would only believe and tap into it.
They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:23
It comforts me to know that each morning, God's mercies are new and fresh. So it really perplexes me why many Christians are still self-flagellating over sins and mistakes they made years ago.
Here's the thing. Christ's blood and sacrifice was made once and for all time. All time includes the time we are living now and any future sins we may commit. Due to our fallen nature, no matter how good we try to be, each day we all sin in our words, our minds or actions. We try but Satan trips us up on one point or another even if we ourselves don't realize it. In fact the Bible says that those who claim to be without sin deceive themselves.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8
Notice it also says the truth is not in us. So right there we're liars too! That is not Yah's plan for our lives to be lived under condemnation. Remember Yahushua came to remove us from the effect of the Law which would be simply termed, "The wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23. We were under that judgment but Christ's love and sacrifice has changed that for repentant believers:
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1
Walking after, means following a path. Our flesh wants to wear the sackcloth and ashes while beating ourselves for our sins. This is man's way of making himself righteous before God. If we are going to do all of that, what value is Christ's sacrifice for our sins? Are we really trusting in Jesus' finished work on the cross in that through HIM we are now the righteousness of God?
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
So today may have been rough. You lost your temper. Maybe you were where you should not have been doing something you should not do. Don't be discouraged because that is just what ha-Satan wants you to be. He is the accuser of the brethren for that same reason. Ask for forgiveness and for Christ to strengthen you for the next time. Also remember, tomorrow is a new day and God's mercies are new as well.
