It’s Friday…Let It Become Our Lifestyle

God made the world for His own glory. If you read or watch the media you know how tragically short we’ve fallen, there is much on this earth that’s ugly and ungodly. God knew that would happen before He spoke light into darkness and crafted His heavens and the earth, and He made us anyway. Why would He do that? Because His glory can come out of the shame and brokenness.

We wonder how that might be possible. How can the depravity we’ve seen, are seeing, and perhaps participated in – the genocides and the terror, the geopolitical crimes around the globe, and the crimes of society that stem from the human heart – how can any of it reflect well on God? That is where we see His mercy. We know firsthand the tender side of God. We’ve tasted the sweetness of His forgiveness and watched the power of healing overcome the power of sin. As His followers, we’ve seen the ultimate mercy in the bloody Savior on the hill.

“God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.”  (2 Corinthians 5:19)

Don’t let that thought pass too quickly. The purpose of all creation, it seems – the point of this horribly fallen world – is to demonstrate a God of reconciliation and grace. Our broken world highlights the compassions that are new every morning and the faithfulness that never sets with the sun. The God who reconciles isn’t clearly seen in His holiness and perfection, at least not until He reaches down in mercy. God becomes visible in the Cross.

So, if the heart of God in this broken and evil world revolves around redemption and reconciliation, we are then at odds with Him if our hearts don’t do the same. God was reconciling the world to Himself in Jesus; He wasn’t counting sins against us because He was counting them against The Scapegoat sent from heaven. What we deserved; Jesus Christ bore. That says marvelous wonders about our Creator.

If you are a follower of Jesus, that is the heart of our mission in this world – to simply speak marvelously about the wonders of our Creator. Mirroring His spirit and heart of reconciliation is the purpose for which we were created and why we’re still here today. Let It Become Our Lifestyle.

Have a peace-filled weekend. Make it better by worshiping The Lord with those who were once His enemies, yet, because of His mercy and love are now walking billboards of His reconciliation and peace.

All For Jesus – Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else.

“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, The King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see, to Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:15b-16)