OUR HOPE FOR UNITY IS IN CHRIST
6/10/2020
I woke up extremely early this morning consumed with a need to pray for my country. Consumed with a need to pray for my family. Consumed by the need to cry out to God. In many places around the world, perhaps where you live, people have a history of hating each other, and wanting nothing more than to control everything, and eliminate all who would stand against them. I have seen these places, like Bosnia, Rwanda, and others, and I could hardly believe that people could harm each other that way, and be so utterly consumed with hate. What would turn a person’s heart so cold that they could lose control of their basic humanity and goodness to become so evil ? Even in our day to day lives this specter rears it’s ugly head. We have become so polarized in our opinions that we have devolved into the need to argue about every single thing. Politics, science, education, history, facts, conspiracies, church, faith, scripture, basic rights, racism, right and wrong, truth, and even reality. Add into the mix a viral pandemic outbreak along with a senseless and evil murder of a black man by an evil individual in Minneapolis who served as a police officer. Too many senseless killings leading us to distrust each other and truly hate each other ! The color of the men leads us into more history of why we are where we are. Inequality, brutality, envy, and self righteousness have been with us since the very beginning. We all have an amazing penchant for iniquity and often disdain for each other and our beliefs.
IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN FIND UNITY IN ? I believe that there is. I believe that unity is in our Lord, Savior, and King, Jesus Christ ! In Him, we have a unity of identity and purpose.
THEREFORE, IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATION. THE OLD HAS PASSED AWAY; BEHOLD, THE NEW HAS COME. 2 Corinthians 5:17
FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND, THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM. Ephesians 2:10
FOR IN CHRIST JESUS, YOU ARE ALL SONS OF GOD, THROUGH FAITH. Galatians 3:26
Let that resonate for a minute. In Christ, we are all sons of God. And as those sons and daughters, we share commonality. We are His ! We are not out there alone, struggling against all the circumstances and craziness the world brings. We are a part of the Kingdom of God as believers, and we are called to SHARE THAT COMMON BOND. The world has it’s own unique set of values and insight, and they are grounded in the moment. They are tossed around and moved by mankind. God on the other hand is Eternal. He is grounded and He doesn’t change. He moves in righteousness and knowledge that is so far beyond our understanding that it is hard to contemplate. God is our Foundation and our Anchor. His Word is Perfect Instruction. His Love Is Endless and Deep.
FEAR NOT FOR I AM WITH THEE; BE NOT DISMAYED FOR I AM THY GOD. I WILL STRENGTHEN THEE, YEA I WILL HELP THEE, YEA I WILL UPHOLD THEE WITH THE RIGHT HAND OF MY RIGHTEOUSNESS. Isaiah 41:10
It is also important for us as believers and mature Christians to realize that for all the purpose for goodness and grace that God has established for us and His wonderful desires for us, the darkness and evil of Satan has just the opposite intentions for us. And Satan is not still. I know that for some, and in a lot of churches Satan doesn’t get much notice or mention….but he is busy. Busy plotting against God as he has from his fall from grace, and his intent is to destroy us. You and me. If we take a good hard look around it is easy to see evil. Some choose to look away and live in anonymity, or ignore it, or run away from it, or worst of all, accept it. I’m lucky. My mom and dad taught me that the only thing that would stop evil was when good people stood in the gap and stood against it. There is no doubt many things in our society need changing. There is no doubt that evil people are out there hurting others. So do we hate each other, or do we find unity ? Do we work together with the character and ways of our Creator, or do we devolve into chaos and mayhem ? I am a believer in the power, authority, and purpose of a risen Lord. Jesus is the answer, and has always been the answer. Jesus is the God who helps those in need. Jesus is the God who exemplified righteousness and justice. He is the God who pulls us into His Person and allows us to abide in His Grace and Love. Unified in Him. Jesus saw the brutality of Rome. Jesus saw the wickedness of men. He walked it and lived in it, but He was not of it, and we should not be either. My life, my purpose, and my hope is in Him. Yours can be too, if you make the choice to embrace Him. Once you do, you realize just how insignificant these moments and the angst they cause truly are when measured against Eternity. We don’t ignore them, but neither do they rule us or cause us to be caught up in evil or unrighteous action ourselves. We share God’s Love. We share the Gospel. We make disciples. We abide in Christ ! May you find Jesus, and may you be unified in His body of believers. Strive To Be His In Righteousness/JAA
DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWAL OF YOUR MIND, THAT BY TESTING YOU MAY DISCERN WHAT IS THE WILL OF GOD, WHAT IS GOOD, ACCEPTABLE, AND PERFECT. Romans 12:2
BUT HE WHO IS JOINED TO THE LORD BECOMES ONE SPIRIT WITH HIM. 1 Corinthians 6:17