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Monday, September 15, 2008

 
For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

Too often the lost believe the deception that God is only wrath. The bible tells us in these verses that that is not God's will. You might ask yourself if it's not God's will for people to incur wrath then why is their hell? You must realize that a characteristic of God is justice. There must be payment for sin. But we see God's love because rather than have us pay for our sins through eternal damnation, he offers us Jesus. He accepts Jesus as an atoning sacrifice. He does this because God's will isn't wrath, but fellowship! He wants us to receive salvation through Jesus because he wants us to know him. He wants us to know the glory of him and to experience fellowship with him.

Some believers are still only driven by fear in their relationship with God. They are driven to God only because they fear eternal damnation. This deception prevents them from fully enjoying the benefits of a relationship with God. They miss out on the joy that comes from holy communion. They miss out on the wisdom that he imparts. They miss out on the healing he provides, the grace he surrounds us with, the joy he restores us with, the purpose he grants us, and the fulfillment he promises.

Jesus died for us so that we might live. True life isn't one motivated by fear of wrath but true life is taking hold of all that we don't deserve because of God's abounding love and grace. It cannot be earned but is truly a gift. Why would you allow a deception of the enemy to stop you from discovering the beauty of the gift offered to us daily? Jesus died so that whether we are awake or asleep we can live with him. Whether we are living in this lifetime or living in the next, he wants to be with us. He wants to share with us the splendor of his glory.

While it is good and important to recognize how much we do not deserve the grace imparted to us by Jesus' sacrifice we must not let ourselves focus too heavily on our failures or we miss out on enjoying the full knowledge of God. God's will is not that we become trapped by our guilt or that we incur wrath because of our sin. His will is that we experience true life, true purpose, and true fulfillment which only He can offer us. It is good to recognize how much we do not deserve this true and new life, but we mustn't let that fact stop us from going after this gift. If we could earn this gift, then Christ died for nothing. Once we recognize it as truly a gift we are better equipped to truly accept it and appreciate it.

Accept the gift of salvation and be driven by the love of Christ rather than the fear of damnation. Accept the gift and open your heart to Him for he will impart on you knowledge, joy, peace, understanding, and so on. God is willing to fill the voids in your soul and give you what you need. You can search this entire world to find happiness and to find fulfillment, but the only thing that will prove true and will give you all you need is the only thing which is out of this world: fellowship with God through a personal relationship with Jesus.

Lord,
We thank you for saving us from your wrath. We thank you for the understanding that it is not your will for us to perish but to be saved. Even though we did not deserve it and could not earn it, you sent your son Jesus as payment for our sin. He was completely innocent but our sins damned him to death. Through your power you raised him up and through a relationship with Him we can experience you. We can grab hold of all that you have for us and pursue the purpose which you have called all of us to. Help us father to accept this gift even though we recognize that we do not deserve it. Remind us your purpose is for us to have fellowship with you and to do your will and not that we should perish. Arm us with this truth so that the deception of the enemy does not stop us from pursuing all of you father. In your holy name, Amen.

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