Through Any Circumstance...
But know
this, that through any situation whether it be bad or good. God will always
find a way for his glory to shine for those who are faithful. God is always
with us and no circumstance is too difficult for God to handle. Don't let the
matters of pain and fear in this world overcome you, rejoice in him always and
know that God will find a way for his glory to reign even if we never see it
first hand in our own lives. From - (Romans 8:28-30)
What did Paul mean by this? I'll tell you what I think. Life is hard and there is never going to be an explanation for everything that happens in life. I was explaining to my girls Monday night that God will always bring Glory to any situation no matter the circumstance. Now that doesn't mean that death, suffering, and unexplained circumstances are "great" acts of God. That would just be too cold to tell someone that through some uncanny tragic event in life that it was a good thing. But from what we should know as Christ followers, which is unique to us, is that even in death and suffering God has proven that his glory will rein. It was through the suffering and death of his Son who came to earth from Heaven to walk among us and bear the punishment we all deserve to bridge the gap between us and God. I think a lot of people get this confused, Jesus' literal death is not what he bore for us, and we will all die at some point. So when you hear someone say he died for us, which he did, the sin he bore was the fact that he was a literal sacrifice to PAY for our sin. He was the debt eraser, the check writer, the anonymous donation to an undeserving cause, he was our savior. He saved us from being eternally separated from the Grace of God. He bore the weight of the world's sin on his shoulders by living a perfect life with no sin, in which he paid the cost our sin, your sin, and the sins of the world.
So what I tried to explain to my girls was that through God
we are to be fruitful and live a life that reflects the heart of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. He gave us the guide book and we are to show others
through our own lives who Jesus was and is. What Paul wrote about in Romans
8:28 was about how through any circumstance in life we are to be faithful and
to love God with all of our heart because he first loved us? We are to have
faith like Jesus did in knowing that even though we don't want to go through
trials and tribulations in life we can rejoice in knowing that God will bring
glory to even the harshest circumstances in life. It could be two thousand
years before God will bring Glory to someone's life through a specific
circumstance, or it could just be your own children or neighbors who see
Christ' love in you and it could change their life completely. I was first
introduced to God's healing love through the death of my best friend, and the
love and strength his sister and family showed me. This tragic event changed
the course of many, many lives. It has taken me ten years to realize that God
used that untimely and devastating event to reset the course of me
and my family and hopefully countless other peoples lives'. Because it is now
that I can truly understand what Paul meant when he wrote "and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" Romans 8:28
"so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11
What did Paul mean by this? I'll tell you what I think. Life is hard and there is never going to be an explanation for everything that happens in life. I was explaining to my girls Monday night that God will always bring Glory to any situation no matter the circumstance. Now that doesn't mean that death, suffering, and unexplained circumstances are "great" acts of God. That would just be too cold to tell someone that through some uncanny tragic event in life that it was a good thing. But from what we should know as Christ followers, which is unique to us, is that even in death and suffering God has proven that his glory will rein. It was through the suffering and death of his Son who came to earth from Heaven to walk among us and bear the punishment we all deserve to bridge the gap between us and God. I think a lot of people get this confused, Jesus' literal death is not what he bore for us, and we will all die at some point. So when you hear someone say he died for us, which he did, the sin he bore was the fact that he was a literal sacrifice to PAY for our sin. He was the debt eraser, the check writer, the anonymous donation to an undeserving cause, he was our savior. He saved us from being eternally separated from the Grace of God. He bore the weight of the world's sin on his shoulders by living a perfect life with no sin, in which he paid the cost our sin, your sin, and the sins of the world.
"so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11
Dear Joe,
ReplyDeleteI agree with much of what you have said above.
My views on Jesus' death differ however.
I believe that Jesus died because of our sins rather than for our sins.
I hope this does not offend you.
Michael E. East.
@Micheal
DeleteI don't fully disagree, but as Paul states and as God commanded in Genesis, The wages of sin is death therefore we must all die. But in Matthew 20:28 Jesus says to his disiples that he is here to serve and give his life as a ransom for many(us). This verse affirms to me that he came to die FOR me and not because of me. Technically yes Jesus had to die because we are sinners and his death pays that price. But Jesus is the 'second Adam" 1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
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