Are We Looking Forward To A Tensionless Holiness And Unity As A Blessing From The Ordeal Of Life?
Good Morning Friends,
Some of the events in our lives can take the wind out of our sails, the song off our lips and the energy out of our steps. But when life deals a lemon we can still experience victory if we are surrounded by grace-filled love. Here we are looking at the big picture…God’s purpose for our lives set against the reality of what we deserve and the love we have been blessed to experience because of God’s grace. Friends we live in a culture that tells us we deserve everything that makes us happy…but somehow in this perspective we miss the truth, that the cost must be paid for everything…Here we face the reality that suffering might just be part of the God’s good, wise and perfect plan. The reality is that becoming a Christian does not make us healthy, and wealthy and free of pain. In fact, we might thrive best in the tension of life. The deal is not about being happy but becoming holy. That is our purpose! Everything in our lives… our jobs…our marriage…our family and church…everything is designed to accomplish this goal. Here we discover that God knows the best better than we do. Here we discover our sufferings are not necessarily random or meaningless. There can be a hard purpose to it all. Perhaps we are made weak to eventually become strong. Perhaps that is the way of God’s plan. It was for Jesus. Friends, there is no amazing grace-filled love without the suffering. So, let love motivate our attitude, our mind, our will and belief. Trust and obey in the love of Christ. Know the truth about the trials of life. Get up and take the next step with Jesus. We do not need to be anxious. We can succeed through faith in Christ during the trials of our lives and in the grace of a loving heart that witnesses the comfort and encouragement of the Spirit in us. And yes, we are to aspire to this holiness even in the face of evil. Still, on this morning on All Saints Day, I wonder… Are We Looking Forward To A Tensionless Holiness And Unity As A Blessing From The Ordeal Of Life?
Scripture: I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to damage earth and sea, saying, “Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the people of Israel: After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 (NRSV)
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
1 John 3:1-3 (NRSV)
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:1-12a (NRSV)
Message: When I think about my favorite saints I am inspired by their actions and the reality that they faced real challenges and still had peace.
So, this day I do not mourn the dead saints, but celebrate the life we together have in Christ. And so, this morning we consider at the joys before us in communion, realizing that terror takes the joy out of the moment but might also prepare us for the fight ahead. Thankfully, despite the evil in the world, divine love transcends time…all time…even this time as we look to a future without tears. Yes, we aspire to this holiness even in the face of evil. But will we miss the tension of life? We are on a journey toward holiness and hopefully the saints are cheering us on, but I for one am not there yet and frankly the image of all the suffering is a bit discouraging while at the same time a life without some tension seems uninteresting. But scripture is clear. There will be a time when God shall wipe away all tears from all the saint’s eyes. So, maybe we should experience the courage of that time even now as a show of victory as we face the ordeals of life. Friends, every one of us, and every human being on earth, is called to be a saint. And that means that we are called to be holy, set apart for God’s service. We are not called to be merely kind or popular or admired or even famous. We are not called to just avoid sin. We are called to be holy. And in this future, we hope and believe with the conviction that suffering in this life, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, will one day yield to unfathomable bliss and blessings but perhaps a bit of excitement as well. Friends, sorrow shall not always have the upper hand. Sure, we might get depressed and angry and be in denial of it all, but a day is coming on earth when God will have removed every trace of the cause of tears but not the challenge of joining with others in prayer until all is accomplished in God’s plan. And so, I imagine all the saints across all time are praying with us and our creator, redeemer and sustainer right now in the hope for a new heaven and a new earth and someday on the other side of this life we too will pray in the tension of it all.
Pray for the coming of a new heaven and a new earth. Pray we all become new creatures in Christ as our King. Pray that the Holy Spirit provides us with the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we should, and the wisdom to know the difference in this life and the next. Pray that we experience a peace that passes understanding. Pray we are anxious for nothing but extending the love of God. Pray that the Lord help us exhibit serenity under pressure, courage during intense opposition and wisdom in times of great confusion. Pray we realize that joy, and peace and contentment do not come from our circumstances but from God’s grace-filled love. Pray we trust and obey. Pray we become more holy. Pray
God encourage us and sustain us in service to others as we join with the saints in Spirit. Pray in the spirit of unity for all believers across all time that have glorified God. Pray that even though we live in a topsy-turvy world, we keep trusting God. Pray we are equipped for sanctified living. Pray we are part of a love that lasts.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 