+ Today we continue our preparation for the Ascension /
Pentecost events. On Thursday we will celebrate the
Ascension of the Lord, and ten days after that Pentecost: the great coming of the
Advocate, the Spirit of Truth who
will teach us all things and make them clear for generations to come. What
things?
1) That the world is wrong about sin. The world says that sin is about
breaking rules. But the Spirit will say that it is about unbelief – refusing to believe in Jesus – refusing to
believe that Jesus is the Son of God – come into the world for our salvation – this is
sin because it cut the person off from graces and helps and aids that are
his/hers for the taking so to live the Jesus-life!
2) The second thing the world is wrong about is righteousness.
The world says righteousness is about our
trying to get back to God. But the Holy Spirit says that righteousness is about
Jesus going to the Father – and then him taking us with him, when it is our
time and everything is prepared for us – and so this means for us – living like
Jesus with him living in us so that we keep our heavenly track.
3) Lastly, the world is wrong about judgment. The
world says that judgment spells doom for
us. But the Holy Spirit says that judgment spells doom for evil - doom for the
Tempter and Deceiver and the Liar and the Inopportunists, and the Cheaters.
Therefore, these references to
sin, righteousness and judgment have to do with us only in a passive sense;
they actually have everything to do with the Messianic activity of Jesus
Christ, Son of God in the primary sense – on
our behalf, for us and for our salvation. We become winners as a gracious
gift and not by our own merits by any stretch of the imagination.
The story of how all this
works is the “good news,” the gospel that Paul and Silas could not be silenced
from preaching at Philippi. And when a miraculous occurrence happened when they
were imprisoned, God used it as a means of conversion for the jailer and his
family. And after their conversion the new Christians provided a meal for Paul
and Silas. Are we not meant to provide a “meal” of sorts for people every day
of our Christian lives – with the fruit and food of good works, kind words and
an optimistic atmosphere?
In this day and age the
opportunities are boundless as we live in a “new world” where self-control,
self-less-ness, self-giving, self-donating is not only a good and right thing
to do – but now it’s literally a matter of life and death. The coronavirus has
a genetically coded illness and death-dealing agenda of its own; and it breeds
on crowding and closeness and what appears to be “normal” human interaction –
what it does not like is social distancing, masking, staying in safe contained
environments and hot water and soap – we must feed the virus these things – and
not the former. We must get it into our minds and hearts that life as we knew
it just 6 months ago is gone forever / but that something newer, better, safer,
and healthier for us all is yet to be revealed – but with prayer – constant daily
prayer – at least 2 20min periods of utter silence – just being in the radiant
glow and grace of God – without speaking – will see us through magnificently!
It is
better for you that I go to the Father, for when I go the Spirit will come to
you: and your lives will never be the same.
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