Wed, Jul 2nd - 7:18PM

Our New Lives in Jesus Christ

 Heb. 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We cannot fail to note here, brothers and sisters, that the Bible does not elevate sin to any level of being unbeatable. No way, for God has left us a great great number of witnesses that tells us differently. Let us believe and do just as the Bible tells us to not allow sin to weigh us down and to lay it aside to keep patiently running our race too with joy just as our Lord Jesus Christ has done. This we will do by His power.

Our Lord spent much time in teaching His followers the kind of relationship He wants with all of His people. At some point He calls His servants “ friends”. He tells them that He will no longer see them as just servants, but as friends. Our Lord tells us that He does not share His business with a mere servant.

Mat 12:47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. 

Here we find our dear Lord Jesus bringing His disciples into a fuller understanding of their relationship with Him not just as disciples and servants, but as His family as well. We do God’s will out of love as His family. Let us heartily embrace Him in all that He is: Messiah, Saviour, High Priest/Mediator, Redeemer, Deliverer, , God the Son, Lord, the First Born of many brethren,  and more, who is not ashamed of us His people the saints (G40 hagios) of God. Even our Father tells us that we are His dear children wholly accepted and loved. For this reason we do as God wills not seeing ourselves in only a one dimensional way as just servants or disciples for we are more than these.

As God's family when He shows us the works of the flesh in the Bible, we do not cringe away or make excuses for any of these that arise in our lives, but frankly turn away from them out of love for Him. At times He will lovingly discipline us to deter us from falsely accepting any sin as the norm in our lives. He will do this because we are His children, He owns us, loves us and continually guides us into His righteousness. How glorious and what great joy it is my brothers and sisters to have so much more than a relationship with God, but KINSHIP WITH THE KING AND HIS ETERNAL FAMILY ALL BOUND TOGETHER IN HIS LOVE !!

love

serola