THE IMMESEAUREABLE DISTANCE

 

How can any distance be immeasurable? Airlines, for instance, know the distance their planes fly, no matter how far the destination. Hence, it's difficult to imagine some space that cannot be measured. As unimaginable as it seems, there's such a distance: the distance between East and West.

The distance between East and West is immeasurable because when you start a journey from the East, moving toward the West, you'll never really get to a particular spot called West. The farther you move in the westward direction, the farther away your destination will be.

You might ask yourself, "What's the big deal about that?" This is a big deal because God used that illustration to prove a point: He demonstrates how completely He forgives sins, meaning that once forgiven, He does not bring it back again; your sin is gone for good. The Bible says, "He [God] has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12 NLT).   

Now, do you understand the big deal? When God forgives you, you stay forgiven! However, God's forgiving us is not automatic; we must want to be forgiven. Our role in the process is to repent (regret sinning) and ask God to forgive us. Why should He forgive us: is it because we're such good people most of the time or because we're so special? No! No reason you can think of is a good enough reason for Him to forgive us.

There's one and only one reason upon which God bases His forgiveness: His love! He loves us and has provided Jesus Christ, His only Son, to be the sacrifice for our sins. The following verses explain the process clearly; please read them carefully. "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood" (Romans 3:23-25).  

Dear reader, you're a sinner because you were born with a sinful nature, just like everyone else. The Bible stresses that fact by saying, "Everyone has sinned." So now, would you like to be forgiven? If you don't seek forgiveness, you make yourself an enemy of God (see James 4:4), and that enmity will continue into eternity, leaving you in hell after death. I encourage you to call on God today and ask Him to forgive you through Jesus Christ, His Son. He will do that and remove your sins as far away as the East is from the West; it will be as if you never sinned. He'll be with you now and in eternity with Him in heaven. Do it today! 

A PLACE FOR GOD TO LIVE FOREVER

 

King David, king Solomon, and the Israelites put a lot of preparation, effort, and supplies into building Israel's first Temple. After the Temple was completed, Solomon brought the dedicated items into the Temple for storage. Then the Ark of the Lord's Covenant was transported from its original place, the City of David, and placed in the inner Sanctuary of the Temple, also known as the Most Holy Place.

King Solomon's opening prayer during the Temple dedication was: "I have built a glorious Temple for you, a place where you can live forever!" (1 Kings 8:13). It was a glorious Temple indeed! 

Wow, it's overwhelming to know our hearts are the Temple of God! (See 1 Corinthians 6:19). We've been cleansed with the blood of Christ to make our hearts just as magnificent as the Temple, a place suitable for God to dwell. Note that the Ark contained only the two tablets of commandments placed there by Moses many years prior. And also, note that the Ark was placed in the inner Sanctuary—the Most Holy Place (see 1 Kings 8:6).

And so, where do we think the Word of God should be? It should definitely be in the inner Sanctuary of our hearts to continuously remind us of His love for us and direct us to walk in obedience.

How should we treat our heart if it is the Temple of God's Holy Spirit? When Jesus saw the people buying and selling in the Temple, He got very indignant and reacted very strongly by overturning their tables and driving them out, and saying to the sellers: "Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father's house into a market place" (John 2:16). God must have felt very disrespected.

Learning from that incident, we must respect God's Temple, which is our body, by keeping it clean and against the influx of filth we look at, speak with our mouth, or listen to with our ears. (Mat 15:19; 12:34). The apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesian church that their hearts would be flooded with light, for light drives away the darkness. This should be our prayer for ourselves and for each other.

Also, following Paul's admonition to the Philippians seriously will help us keep the Temple clean; He told them: "Whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8). It is by thinking, focusing, and meditating on the Word of God that we can make our heart a place for God to dwell forever. And should we find ourselves failing in any way, let's do what king David did; he admitted guilt (Psalm 51) and asked for forgiveness: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (verse 10). May God help us to keep our hearts and minds focused on Him and His Word.

 

A LOOK AT FORGIVENESS

 

What is forgiveness? According to Wikipedia, Forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding an offense and overcomes negative emotions such as resentment and vengeance. In other words, the victim absorbs all the cost, pain, etc., associated with the ‘injury.’ The perpetrator goes free and never has to be responsible, pay back anything, or answer questions regarding the issue.     

There are many questions to ask ourselves regarding forgiveness, whether we are the offender or the victim. Have you ever had to forgive someone? What was their offense, and why did you forgive them? Did they admit wrongdoing and then ask for your forgiveness? Did you forgive, and what did it cost you to forgive: emotionally, socially, and financially? How did you feel personally after forgiving, and how was your relationship with the offender after you forgave them?

We will each respond differently to these questions because we are all at different maturity levels in other areas of our lives. There’s One, however, whose attitude toward forgiveness answers these questions ideally, and that is God! Contrary to what some think, God is the only one we each have to answer to; He is the Creator of the universe, including you and me (see Psalm 24:1). Some think they are free to do as they please, how they please, and when they please. The reality is that what they feel doesn’t matter; only what God thinks, wants, and says matters. What people think does not change God’s truth.

Having established that we all have to answer to God, we have to understand that God has an issue with us: we have all sinned and deserve His judgment: “The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise if any seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!” (Psalm 14:2-3). Out of love for us, God sent His Son, Jesus, to die in payment for our sins. The Scriptures put it this way: “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). This doesn’t call for an argument or self-defense; it calls for acknowledgment of sins, confession, and repentance. 

 If you repent, you will be saved: “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved” (Romans 10:9-10). When you are saved, Jesus comes to indwell you in the person of the Holy Spirit, making you a new person; God becomes your Father, and you, His child; the separation that existed because of sin no longer exists: “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). On the flip side: “…Those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all” (Romans 8:9)

 When God forgives, He no longer holds anything against you, no matter how big or tiny your sin. He credits you with Jesus’ righteousness as if you have never sinned! “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12); “I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins” (Hebrews 8:12), and: “Now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 8:1-2).

Would you like to be saved? As we see from Scripture, God absorbs the cost (by the life of his Son Jesus) of our forgiveness, He forgives completely, and He never brings it back up or rubs it in our faces! He does not keep us at arm’s length; instead, He brings us into His fold and provides a safe haven for us. He loves, provides for us, teaches, encourages, and protects us (see Psalms 23 & 46). Nothing will ever be able to separate us from His love (see Romans 8:38-39).

If you have put your faith in Jesus, you are now a new person in Christ. How should you (we) live from now on? We should no longer live in sin because we are controlled by the Holy Spirit, who helps us do what is pleasing to the Spirit (see Romans 8:5), and we should also serve the Lord: “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God…For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:8-10). “He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ who died and was raised for them” (2 Corinthians 5:15).

To God be the glory! Now that you’ve been born anew feed on the Word of God to help you grow in your faith and seek His face through prayer. If possible, find and fellowship with a church that holds to these truths.  

 

All quotes are from the New Living Translation (NLT).

STOP INTERFERING WITH GOD’S PROPERTY

Unacceptable societal behaviors need to be addressed; it’s gone on far too long and needs to stop! We each need to ascertain the implications of what we do or plan to do before doing it. If we heed this admonition, some things we might otherwise do won’t be done.

What behaviors do I have in mind? Those that question who God is: His power, ability, wisdom, right, and ownership.

The Bible says God created the world and everything in it; He owns it all!

●      “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him” (Psalm 24:1). God is the owner!

●      “When he [God] spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command” (Psalm 33:9). God created it, and therefore, He is the owner!

●      “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it” (Psalm 50:12). God is the owner!

Have you ever created anything? If so, you are its owner and claim the rights to it. And if you are the owner, would you need another person’s permission to do what you please with it? How would you feel and respond if, without your consent, people took it upon themselves to make changes to what was legally yours?

My mind goes back to what happened around when Moses was born. A new pharaoh who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done for Egypt in the past came to power. Fearing the rapid growth of the Israelites, this pharaoh made changes that negatively affected the Israelites. One of those changes was to kill all Jewish baby boys at birth. He feared the Israelites could someday serve as allies to the enemies of Egypt if war ever broke out (see Exodus 1:8-22). What right did this pharaoh or his officials have to reduce the male population? None! But most likely, it didn’t dawn on them that they were overstepping their boundaries or were out of line. By their actions, they implied that God didn’t know what He was doing when He created baby boys; instead, He should have created girls.

This attitude is prevalent many years later; innocent babies are aborted because the parents might be inconvenienced by the baby’s existence. Some excuses for abortions are: The parents are too young, need to finish school, or have no money. And for those who are already parents, the excuses may include: The parents already have enough children and can’t afford to feed another mouth, or their jobs are too demanding; another child would be a burden. If the world and everybody belong to God, what right does anybody have to kill these babies? How would you like someone barging into your house and throwing out your furniture because you have too much? Who do you think should decide how many pieces of furniture you should have, and how many are too many in your house? The last time I checked, you, the owner, should decide.

How about the racial tension that goes on in society? God created all the races for His pleasure, enjoyment, and purpose. He did not assign any group as superior or inferior. In fact, all races descended from the same couple, Adam and Eve. Except for color, everything else is the same in all humans. And when God says all have sinned, He meant all people in all races (see Romans 3:23). And when He sent His Son Jesus to die, it was for all people (see John 3:16). All who are saved through Christ will be in heaven, no matter their racial background. Those who remain unsaved will spend time together in hell regardless of their racial background (see Matthew 25:31-41).

Those who have a problem with the existence of one race or the other imply that God made a mistake in creating that race and that the world would have been better without them. And those who think the population of certain races should be reduced are putting themselves above God. How dare they? God will reduce the population when He wants to! He gets to decide when, how, and why; after all, “Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes” (Psalm 115:3). 

This reminds me of the devil’s aspiration: “I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14). The devil is often the power behind those who are all puffed up, thinking they know better than God and can and will fix His ‘mistakes.’ How rude and how arrogant! These people are claiming authority that has never been offered to them and assuming a role that strictly belongs to God. 

Are you caught up in this behavior? What do you think you do when you mess with another person’s property? You are being disrespectful, proud, and arrogant. Let’s stop messing with God’s property and mind our own business; enough is enough! It is okay to notice or comment on differences like complexion, accent, etc., but please, stop interfering with God’s property! He does not need you going behind Him to undo or redo His work. You’ve never created a human; until you do, choose to be okay with God’s creation. Keep your hands off His property; He does not need you to grade His work or okay it. If He should ever need your input, He’ll let you know. Meanwhile, feel free to build your own if you are unhappy with this world!