The little boy played his heart out, gave his all. He can't bear to look at the scoreboard again, as he walks off the field. His lip is bruised; he got a cut on his ear from sliding into third that last at-bat. He is dirty, exhausted and ... the final indignity: defeated. Barely holding back tears, he looks for his father...scanning the crowd. There he is, waving and walking toward his son! Approaching his dad, perhaps the boy makes the "L" symbol on his forehead...Loser. When they meet, the father takes a knee and opens his arms wide to gather his son up. "Son!", he exclaims. When those strong arms wrap around the son, the tears begin to flow. Tremendous disappointment, regret, self-recrimination for mistakes made or opportunities lost - - - all flow from the boy's eyes and in the words which tumble from his lips.
What does the good, good father say? He reminds his son of who that child is, and assures him that his love for that boy is greater than any failure. He promises that, while this disappointing game is over, there are wonders and joys ahead because that boy is his. He probably echoes a lot of what God tells His very own beloved children in Romans 8.
When we left chapter 7, we probably felt a lot like that child: defeated. But, then, Romans 8 dawns like a glorious morning. Because of his deep understanding of the Christian life and a deep intimacy with Jesus Christ, the apostle Paul was able to re-frame for us the adverse circumstances of life in our fallen world. This is why Romans 8 is one of the most beloved chapters, in one of the most beloved books of the Bible.
God recognized the problem and devised a solution. He saw that the Law was serving merely as a leaking bandage on an oozing sore. He realized that the system was broken and that a deep healing was needed, a healing that would begin from within, down in the very core. In fact, He knew all this before Earth or a single soul on it was ever created. He has always known.
His solution was to send His Son, purposefully and personally taking on the human condition, clothing Godhead in human flesh. Born as a human baby, Jesus engaged the fractured mess called humanity, in order to set things right, once and for all and forever. Jesus "put skin on" to take up residence here so that His Spirit could take up residence in us, so that we, although still experiencing daily the limitations of sin, can live life on God's terms: the Spirit-filled life. With His Spirit living and breathing in us, we are delivered from our former, dead lives. We are set free.
Jesus' resurrection life, which He beckons us to walk in, is not a life that keeps looking back and longing for the former, dead lives we lead. It is not a life that draws us to go regularly to place flowers on a grave of regrets. No! It is an expectant life, a life that asks our Savior, "What's next, my Love? I am ever Yours! What's the next adventure?"
God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!
Romans 8:16-17 (The Message)
All our skinned knees, black eyes, cut lips and broken bones are healed, forever healed from within, by God's Spirit who lives within. And then the love, OH the love that is ours!
Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
Romans 8:35-39 (The Message)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zunQ--S7RM
Lord, I think of that beautiful testimonial that sings, "No power of death, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from your hand....", and I thank you. I humbly thank you. In Jesus' name, amen.
Source:
"In Christ Alone - Philips, Craig & Dean." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
No comments:
Post a Comment