Make every effort to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace [each individual working together to make the whole successful]. There is one body [of believers] and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when called [to salvation]— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all who is [sovereign] over all and [working] through all and [living] in all.
Ephesians 4:3-6 AMP
What is it that binds us together? The bond of peace. What is this bond of peace? It is the peace of God that comes from knowing the Gospel. Jesus Christ is Our Peace. He, and He alone, has reconciled us back to God through His finished work on the Cross of Calvary.
Simply believe it and you will be born again by faith in God. You become a new creation. Behold all things are becoming new. God becomes your Heavenly Father. Let’s think about that for a moment.
What does the Father represent? He is the head of the household. He is the provider. He is the protector. He is the prophet. He is the priest. He is the king. That’s God’s design for God’s family.
We’re on Team Jesus now. Jesus is Lord. We’re not in charge. We never were. You want to know what a grand delusion is? Thinking we can do anything independent of God. The sooner we get our heads and hearts right, the sooner we fully submit to the Lordship of Christ, the sooner we will become useful to God.
Empty handed. That’s what we are when we come to God. What can we offer Him, except our admission of our rebellion and disobedience? The sooner we realize the only thing we can offer God is our obedience, the sooner things will start lining up with God’s will.
God is the One who made us what we are. We did not create ourselves. We did not create the world. We did not create the sun, moon and stars. If we were created, and we’re not all figments of our imagination, then we were created for a reason.
I think the most reasonable thing we can do is study the Scriptures, see what they say, take the message to heart and live them out in our daily lives.
God is setting the stage for the end of the world. It’s already over, we’re just walking through history on our way home. There’s something about predestination that’s very comforting. God is sovereign. His will reigns supreme. He knows the end from the beginning. Our understanding is limited, we’re experiencing life as finite, time-bound creatures living in suits of flesh.
The best thing we can do is trust God. Believe Him at His Word and run with it, or more correctly, walk with Him. God’s got a plan. God’s got a purpose. If you wait on Him, seek His face, He will reveal it to you, piece by piece, day by day, one act of obedience at a time.
For me to preach obedience to the will of God is a miracle in itself. I was born a rebel from my mother’s womb. I was maybe 2 years old when I told my dad, “You’re not the boss of me.”
Defiant, rebellious, hater of authority, that’s who I was. That’s who I am when I get into the flesh instead of the Spirit. What is the root? A lack of trust. A lack of love.
Our God is a loving Father. He sacrificed Himself, in the form of His Son, to restore us to right relationship with Him. It boggles the mind. What kind of love is this? His love knows no bounds. His love is constantly pursuing sinners.
Let’s set aside our differences. Those things that separate us and tear us apart. What are we holding on so tightly to? What are we using to justify ourselves and our sense of identity besides our common need for a Savior?
There is one name that all people are known by in Heaven and on Earth. A new name that only they know. What is that name? Beloved.
Behold, you are beloved of God, whether you know it or not. Whether you are His friend or His enemy. That is the message of the Cross. God made a way where there was no way. God loves sinners so much that He saves them by His blood sacrifice.
Love the sinner, hate the sin. Set aside our differences. Set aside our sin. God will make all things right. Just trust Him and obey Him. That’s the abundant life. Everything else will pass away. Why waste time on meaningless things?
Father in Heaven, Your ways are higher than our ways. Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts. Therefore, we humble ourselves under Your mighty hand. May we be Your people and You be our God. May we represent You well during this short time we have left here to serve You on this Earth. We anticipate a new heaven and a new earth, where sin no longer reigns in the heart of man. Deliver us from evil. And may we walk with You forever. Amen.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away (vanished), and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, arrayed like a bride adorned for her husband; and then I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “See! The tabernacle of God is among men, and He will live among them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them [as their God,] and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be death; there will no longer be sorrow and anguish, or crying, or pain; for the former order of things has passed away.”
Revelation 21:1-4 AMP