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What Have We Set Aside?
Devotional Thought for the day:
3 So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? 4 And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose. Hebrews 2:3-4 (NLT2)
4 “So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!’ 5 But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business. 6 Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them. 7 “The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. Matthew 22:4-7 (NLT2)
4 You often ask yourself why souls who have had the great fortune of knowing the true Jesus ever since their childhood, hesitate so much in responding with the best they have: their life, their family, their ideals. Look: you are bound to show yourself very grateful to the Lord, precisely because you have received ‘everything’ in one go. Just as it would strike a blind man if he suddenly recovered his sight, while it does not even occur to others to give thanks because they see. But that is not enough. You have to help those around you, daily, to behave with gratitude for their being sons of God. If you don’t, don’t tell me you are grateful.
When some Christians think of neglecting salvation, they think of the people they know who once attended church, yet now only show up for “special events.” The people that may go to a Christian Concert, or listen to Christian music, but aren’t involved in a community of believers.
Like the ones in the story, invited by the King to share in His son’s wedding feast, who dismiss or are violent to the King’s servants. Some who do neglect God’s delivering us from the power of sin do so by finding other priorities over church, other priorities over studying the scriptures and praying with others.
But we also neglect such a great blessing as salvation is when we do nothing with it. When we go through the motions at church, when we soak in all the Bible Studies when we reduce our life to “attendance”. It may be because we’ve simply got comfortable in our routine, that we’ve reduced walking thru life with God to just showing up once in a while. We can become the people that always have been able to see, that don’t appreciate it. Or who have received God’s mercy for so long we take it for granted and think every one we know also is going to be saved.
Neglecting salvation begins not with passivity, but in not realizing the profound difference it makes in our lives, and the difference it could make in the lives of those around us. And knowing that difference, helping them to see it. (Not forcing it one them, but revealing and encouraging them to believe in the promises.
We need to be grateful for this greatest gift in our lives.
A gift that all can receive.
The problem is that many of will read this and respond (or at least commit to respond out of guilt and obligation. Instead, we should respond naturally, in awe and joy, in gratitude for the life that has been given to us.
This amazing gift of freedom from sin, of knowing we have life eternal, of knowing that we walk with God, because He wants to walk with us,,, He wants to be with us,. He wants us to know that He, God our Creator and Redeemer loves us.
Think about that love… dwell in it.. and live in it.
May God’s richest blessings that He gives you, be recognized and hold the greatest attention in our lives!
The question of the Day: What distracts you from God’s love, what causes you to neglect it?
Escriva, Josemaria. Furrow (Kindle Locations 253-260). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Following Jesus is Never Easy…Yet….
Devotional THought fo the Day:
3 So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? Hebrews 2:3 (NLT)
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9 (NLT)
668 The first Twelve, too, were foreigners in the lands where they taught the Gospel. They came up against people who were building the world on foundations diametrically opposed to Christ’s doctrine. Look: despite these adverse circumstances, they knew that they had been entrusted with the divine message of the Redemption. And so the Apostle cries, “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1)
One of the blessings I have, is working with “young” guys in ministry.
Some are actually young, in their 20’s and 30’s. Some are just young in ministry, men in their 50’s, 60’s and even 70’s whom God is calling to do more, to come to the aid to their pastors, and even to become pastors themselves. (Three will be ordained this year!)
But everyone is in ministry, everyone has the vocation (the role) of being someone God has sent into the world, wherever they are at, to live a life that reflects the love of Christ.
That may seem like a heavy burden, especially in striving to keep focused as Paul says, on that which is of Christ. It is especially hard in a world like ours, where we can think we are doing well, because we aren’t as bad as the rest of the world. yet we create our own idols, our own sacred cows, and in doing so, we ignore our salvation. Idol making is not something that starts deliberately, neither does approving of immorality.
Yet we do live in a world that opposes holiness, that calls what is wrong and sinful, right and spiritually healthy. Even when we do it among other believers. How can we call people to the peace God has planned for them, unless we show them the need for the Holy Spirit to bring them to repentance? How can we be healed, unless we recognize our brokenness? Not just the brokenness caused by this sin, or by that…but all brokenness? (As Luther said, unless we preach against real (our) sin?)
We have to share the gospel, not from obligation, but from need, and because we love those who need it. This includes ourselves. We need to know God’s grace, we need to realize that He has saved us, that He has saved us from our sin, yeah – even that one.
Ours.
By “we” i don’t mean pastors and priests, or church workers… I mean all of those who believe and trust in jesus, who know God is at work.
May we as well encourage people to keep their eyes on Christ and not ignore our being saved!
(1) Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 2456-2460). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
