June 15, 2008
Proper 6 (A)
Reconciled Blessings
I tell engaged couples that getting married changes life significantly. Once married life will never be the same for them for many reasons!
Once you become a believer your life will never be the same again. A believers has peace with God, a redeemed relationship with God. God becomes an active partner in that relationship. When God is active, your life is different forever.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” There it is, peace with God
Peace with God means a relationship with God. There are two things about that relationship with God. First, peace with God means that God will not leave you alone! God loves you too much to leave you where you began.
Moms and dads who love their kids get involved in their lives and strive to give them what is best. Good parents want the best for kids. Why should we expect anything less of God? As you love your kids too much to leave them where they are, God loves you too much to leave you where you are.
God is going to refine your faith. “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
The word translated as, “rejoice” literally means to boast, to exalt. The one who has peace with God can exalt in their sufferings because God is at work. Stress and suffering prove to them that God is at work in their lives.
The word translated as “suffering” is from the verb meaning to press, as to press grapes for wine, or olives for oil. It carries the meanings of suffering, distress or pressure in one’s life.
The New Testament assumes the believer will suffer hardship in this life. Difficulties for the believer are the rule in the New Testament not the exception. Why then should we think any differently? Believers will encounter difficulties, even suffering.
It is important to understand these verses discuss suffering in general terms. They say that stress and difficulties are an opportunity for our faith to grow in character and durability. When you have peace with God he will not leave you alone. You can rejoice because the Creator of the universe loves you too much to leave you alone.
Second, peace with God means you begin living the hope of your everlasting life right now! “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
We may be tempted to think that everlasting life is something that starts after we die. The Scriptures are clear, though, that everlasting life begins in this life. If God went so far as to give up his Son for us while we were sinners, what will he do for us now that we have peace with him? If he loved us that much while we were his enemies, how much more will he do for us now that we are reconciled to Him!
Peace with God does mean God will not leave us alone. Peace with God also means we can rejoice that we live now and forever. Even though things may be difficult in this life we rest assured in the everlasting life we enjoy now and forever. You have peace with God. God won’t leave you alone. Rejoice in your everlasting life!