May 21st, 22

THEY WILL COME FROM DISTANT LANDS

Our readings today are I Kings 8,  II Chronicles 5, Psalm 99, and Romans 3.  We are reading from the New Living Translation.

In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of you. They will come from distant lands because of your name (I Kings 8: 41).

All the nations will come.  They will all have a place before his throne.  But their place before God’s throne won’t be won because of the 120,000 lambs that David’s son, Solomon, had sacrificed.  No.  The nations of the world are able to come because God’s son offered a far better sacrifice.  Jesus was sacrificed.  He was the pure and spotless Lamb of God.  The life that Jesus lived, qualified him for the death he died.  And His death, purchased for me, and for all the nations, a place before God.  

But it is not only  a place before his throne but a place before Him each and every day, here and now.  We live our life now, by faith, trusting in him, not relying on our obedience and piety.   That’s the only way God’s people have ever lived before him – by faith – trusting in Him.  This was what Moses wrote about and what the prophets pointed to.  This is the Gospel that Paul proclaims here and now, for us, today.  Paul reminds us that we are not justified by our obedience to the law.  No one will ever be saved by obeying the law.  The law’s purpose was to point out to us how badly we break the law.  

We are all lawbreakers, in need of Someone who  will come and fulfill the law for us. we can’t do this on our own, because were spiritually dead.  We need champion for this cause, someone who will fulfill righteousness for us,  The law points this out, we need someone who will do something about my spiritualy darkness.  And the need goes deeper.  We need someone who will come and deal with my sin, and evil.  we need someone who will do something about death and the grave.  The gospel is this.  That Jesus has come as our champion to deal with sin, death, and the grave, for all.  he’s come to sit with humanity in our unrightious state, not to condemn us, but to die on our behalf, and in dying, he defeats death. Freeing us from it’s penalty and grip.  This is what hebrews 2:14-15 says “14 Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. 

All that was needed for me to overcome sin death and the grave, has been done in Christ.  He alone is the One who has fulfilled the law’s purpose. In doing this he fulfilled all righteousness, on behalf of all, much more than that, he has defeated death and the evil one, and draws us into his victory and his life.  Ours is to say yes, to wake up to this new reality that is here now in Christ.  

We are found in Him, therefore let us trust him.  Jesus did that, my faith does not do that. His faith, perfect, obedient faith in his Father did that.  I put my trust in the faithful one.  “The life I now live i live by the faith of the son of God.  

The true adventure of life with God, is made possible now, because of Jesus.  Believe Him.  Live in the new life he offers, and be free.

You are loved!