Monday, October 9, 2017

It's True!

Monday, October 9, 2017
You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple.  He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.  And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple.  What’s more, you are his holy priests.  Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.  As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”  Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him.  But for those who reject him, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.”  And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.”  They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.  But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people.  You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.  As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.  “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people.  Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”  
1 Peter 2:4-10 (NLT)
Peter knew what he was talking about.  Once he was nothing, even less than nothing; he denied his best friend and watched him die.  Now he was the head of a movement, courageously speaking to thousands about their worth. 
What made the difference?  In a word…forgiveness!  The difference between a lying, self-serving failure and a trusted friend/co-laborer with the king is the mercy that extends forgiveness for everything.  It’s true!
Peter was among those who, by his actions, rejected Christ.  While the carpenter from Galilee was being falsely accused and sentenced to death on the cross, Peter was nearby, denying that he’d ever met Jesus.  He denied him three times!
But Jesus restored Peter by forgiving him.  Instead of miserable, failure, wicked, selfish coward…Peter’s natural attributes, the Son of God, resurrected Lord called Peter holy, royal, a special possession, God’s very own; quite a difference!  And that difference is forgiveness because God is merciful…God is always willing to forgive when we turn to Him.  It’s true!
And what’s more…like Peter…God places us in a position to share that good news with others.  It’s true!  Peter understood from the very depths of his being what it was like to pass from death (not being worth anything) to life (being accepted by God and valued like a royal child in a palace).  It happened because of mercy, the forgiving mercy of God.
Many years ago with a young family, a mortgage, and too much month left over at the end of the money, I had a debt that was bigger than I could hope to conquer.  Credit cards were maxed-out and we owed more than a half-year’s salary.  Our debt was growing bigger by the month and we were sinking.  Then a loved one offered to pay our debt…and suddenly we were free!  Everything changed; the pressure was gone and life turned sweeter.
And that was only money.
Think about the impact of having every sin forgiven:
·       Every evil thought
·       Every harsh word
·       Every stolen moment or trust broken
·       Every failure….all forgiven.
You turn to Christ; give him your honest confession…all your sins…and He gives you…HIM on a cross.  He pays your debt, cancels your penalty and breathes life into your soul.
And when that happens he gives you the common sense to share that good news with everyone you meet!

For You Today

Salvation – freedom and joy…it’s true!
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!
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[1] Title Image: CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

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