The Inseparable Father and Son

 

"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well."  I John 5:1

 

I love my children!  They are my life.  If you want me to like you, then love my children.  If you want to make an enemy of me, mistreat one of them.  Do you feel the same way?  We parents have that protective instinct that causes us to guard our children against all threats, whether real or perceived.

 

In today's verse is a similar comparison.  If you love God,  you must love his child.  That may seem like a minor point.  But in truth, it is the most important point of all.  Jesus is the way that the Father has provided for salvation. Many religions believe in God, but they vary on the way to be in right relationship with God.  This verse is one of the ones that makes it clear that the two are a package-deal.  You cannot separate the Father from the Son.  Neither can you separate the Holy Spirit from the other two.  They are all One.  The Trinity of the Godhead is a mystery that we accept by faith.

 

If we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One, then we are born of God.  If we minimize his importance to that of only a great teacher or prophet,  we miss the mark.  It was the Father's good will that Jesus be his Sent One, the One who would purchase salvation and bring reconciliation through his sacrificial death on the cross.

 

As Christians, these are important truths we can never waver on.  Further, these truths must be proclaimed, that we may win others to Christ.  It is good to be tolerant and respectful of other people's opinions, but not to the point that we submerge truth.  Jesus is the way.  He is the mediator.  He is God and he was man.  He and the Father are one, and in him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

 

Today, take time to marvel on the beauty of the Godhead, the absolute unity in purpose, character and action.  Reflect and rejoice!

 

 

Thank you Father, for the gift of your precious Son.  Thank you for loving me that much.  Let me life be a daily affirmation of my love for you.   In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

Sherri

 

 

 

You Are Just Like Your Father!

 

"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.  You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.  They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.  We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.  This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.  Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God  is love. This is how God showed his love: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love:  not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us,  we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if  we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.  We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in  God. And so we know  and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.  In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in the world we are like him." I John  4:1-17

 

Standing before the Lord in judgment is such a terrifying thought that I imagine it would make an incredible Sci-Fi film.  Or a suspense thriller.  But I doubt anyone could fully capture the absolute terror of the unsaved on the day that they stand before the Great White Throne of Judgment.   On that day, no one will be deluded into thinking he is not the One True Way.  No one will doubt his utter holiness and righteousness.  Everyone will confess him as Lord.  But not everyone will be adjudicated "not guilty."

 

I am so grateful for the love of God that covers us and washes away all guilt.  As Christians, we are so blessed to know that we will not have to fear the judgment, but rather, have an eager expectation of reward.  Imagine the contrast between the Great White Throne Judgment and the Judgment Seat of Christ!   Thank God we can look forward to that day with confidence, rather than fear.

 

Pause and reflect on the part of today's passage that says, " ...because in the world we are like him."  This is true in many ways.  We are like him, because we are his representatives in this world. We are like him, in that we were created in his image and for his glory.  We are like him because we are not of this world- our home is in heaven with Christ.  We are like him in that we carry out his mission, declare his message, and perform his signs and wonders.  (Or at least we should!)

 

In the world we are like him.  That is a powerful mandate as well.  In the world, we are not like the world.  We do not think as they think, dress as they dress, desire what they desire or pursue the things that they pursue.  Jesus and the world are polar opposites.  Because of that, what treatment should we expect?  Being misunderstood?  Hated? Persecuted?  "Because in the world we are like him," is true in more ways than we can imagine.

 

Further, we are to choose to be like him.  We mimic those we respect.  We emulate those we admire.  Love is made complete among us, giving us confidence on the day of judgment because of our likeness to Christ.  Do you look just like your Father?  If not, what can you do to change that?

 

 

Father, help me to conform to your likeness and that of your own, dear son.  Help me to live as he did and to draw others to you.  Thank you for granting me confidence before you on the day of judgment.  In Jesus' Name..  Amen.

 

Sherri

 

 

 

Identify Yourself!

  "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!  The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.  Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.  But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.  And in him is no sin.  Dear children, do not let anyone lead  you astray. he who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.  He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.  The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work."  I John 3:1-8

 

When a child is born, family and friends gather around the newborn.  And the conversation goes something like this, "He/she looks just like her Mama."  "He/she has her daddy's eyes, chin, etc."  We closely relate people to the ones that they are most closely identified with.

The same phenomenon is true in the spirit as well.  If God is your Father, then people are going to see his character and attitude at work in you.  If you  are sowing wild oats, living like the devil, then people will assume that you are a non-Christian.  And rightly so.  Jesus  is the King  of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  He defeated the work of Satan when he died on the cross.  He has made his enemy his footstool making a public display of defeating Satan.  All of this was done so that we- his  precious, yet lost children- can be restored to a right relationship with him and become born-again children of God.

After he has suffered so much on our behalf, why would we accept him as our Savior, but show allegiance to his  enemy by acting like the devil?  Why would we lie, cuss, hang out in bars and brawl?  Why would we gossip, take the Lord's  Name in vain or view internet pornography?  There has to be boundaries in life.  There are places I just can't go because I am a Christian.  We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, how can we take our temple to a place where our Lord is not honored and Satan is given free reign.

God has destroyed Satan's work.  We need to be careful to reject his efforts to ensnare us again. Are there areas in your life where Jesus cannot be found...? In your movie/television viewing?  In your reading material?  In your flirtations with the cute blonde at work?  Decide today to cut the enemy off.  Do not allow him to influence you.

Dear Lord, help me to show forth your character in all that I do.  Search my heart and reveal to me the areas where I make room for the enemy.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

Bagged Gift

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him?” Matthew 7:11

 

My four year old has been on a tear for a few days.  He has been misbehaving, disobeying, and displaying other worrisome behaviors.  This is not my first rodeo- he is my third child. In my heart of hearts, I know this is just a phase and is bound to turn around.  But in the meantime, I spend so much of my time correcting, scolding, disciplining and praying to treat him as God would have me to.  He is not a bad child.  In fact, he is very precious and as sweet as the day is long.  But he is testing his boundaries.

That same child loves baseball.  In fact to say that he loves it may be the understatement of the year.  For a long time now he has wanted catcher’s gear (he calls it crotch-down catcher).  Because it is expensive and he has not yet started t-ball we have put him off.  But this week his aunt brought a surprise for him-some catcher’s gear.  I could hardly wait for him to get home and see it.  Then the report came.  He was ugly to his brother on the way home from his Granny’s house.  I told him he had a surprise but would have to be sweet to get it.  The bad behavior and correction continued.  Then the next day he went to my Mom’s.  When he came home, I was informed that yet again, he had gotten into trouble off and on all day.  So sadly, he could not get them that day either.

As a Mom, it hurts my heart to deprive him of something I know will cause him so much joy.  But there is no way I can reward the way he has been acting.  He does not have any idea what a great surprise awaits him if he will only begin to behave in the way that he had been trained and in the way that is required of him.  I was venting to God about my frustration, and then it hit me.  How many good gifts does my Father have in store for me, but I cannot receive them because of my behavior?  Because of my disobedience, because of my rebellion…What treasures have we forfeited?

God has good gifts for you and me.  But as a good Father, he has to withhold them until we prove we can be trusted with it.  Consider your ways.  Are you asking for blessings, but walking outside of his will?  It is not going to happen.  Seek the Lord and I know you will be amazed with what he will do for you, his precious child.

Dear Lord, thank you for all of the gifts you have given me.  Forgive me for the ways that I sin against you.  Help me to be aware of the times that I displease you.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri