Is Jesus Safe?
Good Morning Friends,
The sin of pride will corrupt a Christian much like the armor of King Saul would have controlled David, consuming his God given ability to defeat Goliath by its very weight. Instead we need to put on the armor of God making it your own…claiming the grace. You see we need God’s strength to ultimately win the battle. But be careful if you are using borrowed equipment. Be prepared with honest prayer that is your own.. But make no mistake there is a serious battle to be fought and yes Jesus saves us but… Is Jesus Safe?
Scripture: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,
Hebrews 12:1 (NRSV)
David said to Saul, “Let no one’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and whenever a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.” David said, “The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you!” Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these; for I am not used to them.” So David removed them. Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, striking down the Philistine and killing him; there was no sword in David’s hand
1 Samuel 17:32-40, 50 (NRSV)
Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 (NIV)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.
Ephesians 6:10-20 (NRSV)
I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”
John 16:33 (NRSV)
Message: Victory is to be ours, but it does not come without a fight and it is not without risk. That is the message from the words of Jesus shared in John 16:33. These words came just hours before He would be crucified and the lives of the disciples would be rocked to their very foundations. Soon the Messiah they had hoped for and believe in would die a horrible death, and they would live in fear for their own lives. But Jesus anticipating this and his perspective on the persecution to come after the resurrection puts their minds at ease. The focus here is not to be about the tribulations and affliction that crushes, breaks and presses the grapes into wine, but the intoxication of the world with God’s grace and righteousness. Jesus was preparing them and us for in this world we will be poured out. And here we bleed over into the world as salt and light and we find the peace of God in unsettling times. Here the void in our heart is filled with Christ’s love. Here in the battle we realize that much of life is endurance on the journey toward spiritual maturity. It is not a harmless place and though we might find a form of protection in the Way, it is by no means safe in the traditional sense of the word. To live as Christians we must risk. We need this reality in our pursuit of discovering and using the gifts God has given us. Like a good athlete we need to take personal responsibility that our gifts be used for God, for His purpose in our life and as a witness in the lives of others. To succeed we need discipline and focus to the task given us…attention to the battle to be won…to the finish line and victory in the love of Christ shared. It is a cause worth fighting for…a fight that will define our lives, much as it did for the shepherd boy David. And much as it did for Jesus and the disciples. Here we discover that it is much simpler than we would make it. It is God who saves, not by a sword or spear, but by His power proclaimed when the Spirit fills us.
Pray that we lighten the load. Pray that we find freedom from sin in doing what God has prepared us to do. Pray that we become what God intended for us from the start. Pray that we get rid of the excess baggage. Pray that we have faith to face the giants in our lives. Pray that we realize that the battle is the Lord’s. Pray we realize that we must prepare ourselves by putting on, not physical armor but the spiritual armor of God. Pray we expose, uncover and empty weapons of evil as God’s message in Jesus is poured out in us. Pray we hear Jesus’ battle cry to spread God’s grace and righteousness. Pray we not be too comfortable where we are that we find our success a hindrance to going where Jesus wants us to be. Pray that wherever He leads we be prepared to go even if it is risky. Pray that we first find peace in Christ for outside of Him we are an enemy of God. Pray we understand God’s sovereignty and use His strength. Pray we live in obedience. Pray we live in anticipation of God fulfilling His promises on earth as in heaven. Pray we face the battle with peace.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 