Saturday, August 27, 2016

Why a Christian can believe Christ will never leave him nor forsake him

In Matt 28:20, we read  20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Many years ago, during times of great trial I would come to this verse to no avail for I could not find any reason why I could claim this promise. You see I look at myself, I see my sin, my failures to live up to God's standards and coming to this verse with all of those staring back at me only made my heart sink in despair.

Only lately have I found confidence in the promise found in that verse and the one in Heb 13:5
 for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
How can I claim such a promise? Dear friend it is not because of anything inside you, but simply because Jesus bled and died for you. That is the reason why we can have confidence that Christ will be with us always, unto the very end of the world. It is because Jesus died for you.

At the cross God forsook Christ so that today God does not have to forsake you.

Another fact related to the dying and bleeding of Jesus is our baptism. According to God's Word, in Romans 6, we have been united with Christ at his death, burial and resurrection when we got baptised. God united us with Christ in our baptism.

No matter how it looks in the end, God will lead us back to the evidence for the reason Christ will never leave us nor forsake us, the proof we can rely on this promise is the Cross.

So I tell myself and you, next time you feel God has left you alone, look at the Cross, you will be convinced what you have taught about God is so wrong.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Those who have faith in Christ are the ones reconciled to God

I have been reading through Colossians lately as part of my daily devotions, often called "quiet time".
This passage spoke anew to me - Colossians 1
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

When we see the connection of v.20, 21 w v.23  it is plain that those who are in faith and continues in the faith (the assumption here is faith in the atonement, v.22 of Christ) are the ones that enjoy the present reality of being reconciled to God. This faith is the one produced by the hearing of the Gospel, the good news that Christ has died to pay for sins. It is beautiful to see here that the Gospel, faith and reconciliation neatly tied together in one paragraph.