GOD’S MERCY
Lay Pastor Harijono
Johor, Sunday, December 17, 2017
Shalom,
Year in, year out, we hear the Word of God featuring the classic message of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior. But, what about the Word of God that we have been hearing throughout this passing year? Has it been a blessing to our private lives, marriages and families, especially in the context of being shepherded?
We ought to give endless thanks to God for His abundant mercy that floods our souls and brings untold joy in our lives. Nevertheless, God does not spare some of us sorrows or difficult times. Whatever the case may be, if we believe that Jesus was born for our sake and that we trust Him to take care of our lives, we can stay thankful in all situations (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18) – either in times of blessings or in the midst of sufferings. He has the authority over our lives. Needless to say, we have no reason to murmur, let alone sound off our disappointment. Let’s each of us evaluate what he has gained from his being shepherded all the year round.
Read closely: God never breaks His promises (2 Peter 3: 9). What has He promised us?
Great Joy in regard to the birth of the Savior (Luke 2: 10-11).
It was the heavenly host that proclaimed this promise of great joy to the shepherds – the commoners. Annointed with the Spirit, the Lord Himself proclaimed the good news to the poor, released the captives, set free the oppresed, restored the sight of the blind and proclaimed the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4: 18-19).
Eternal Life (John 3: 16-17).
Everyone who believes in Him will not perish but will be saved and have eternal life.
Jesus – the Word – that became man and dwelled among us (John 1:14).
Through Jesus Christ, God became man and dwelled among us because God understood man’s sinful existence due to his disobedience to His Word. The glory of the Father, mercy and truth are all in Jesus. He sets us free from the condemnation of sin. Jesus is the Executive Agent of God’s mercy to salvage mankind. This is a priceless opportunity that provides access to owernship of eternal life and salvation alike.
Strength and Hope.
His grace grants us power as well as hope to lead our lives and to carry out the consecration ministry we are entrusted with. That way, we may stand firm and strong (1 Corinthians 15: 10).
Life Transformation
By His mercy, we experience life transformation by means of sanctification leading to spiritual maturity. This process enables us to grow up in love into Christ, who is the Head (Ephesians 4: 13-16), and put on the new man in Jesus Christ to please Him (vv. 20-24).
Ambassadors for Christ
Having been reconciled to God, we become new creations to be His ambassasors (2 Corinthians 5: 17-20).
Jesus is our model without blemish. God sent Him to rescue the sinful humans. If we possess Jesus Christ, the Crucified, we must walk in His way and do our very best to live in righteousness every single time, especially at the moments when we are challenged to overcome life’s hardships in this end time.
Be alert in times of hardships in these last days. To undergo the life-transforming power, man must steadfastly hold on to the Word of God. Otherwise, he will be a slave of money and satisfy his own desires. In every aspect of his life, his actions will oppose God’s will (2 Timothy 3: 1-5), making himself His enemy.
How do we welcome the presence of Jesus Christ as our Savior? Do we long for Him? Do we trust in Him? Or, do we give Him the cold shoulder as we take Him for a good-for-nothing?
The Apostle Paul once rejected or hated Jesus in such a way that he militantly made attempts to kill His followers. But, after knowing Him, Saul experienced His life-transforming mercy that empowered him to work for (serve) the Lord harder than ever. Without the slightest hesitation, he claimed, “For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. Now if I am to go on living in the body, this will mean productive work for me ....” (Philippians 1: 21-22).
Let’s not waste His mercy. Having gained God’s grace and mercy, let’s reach out to the unbelievers and those who are weak in faith. Let’s share with them the mission of Jesus’ birth into this world, namely to save the sinful men via His death so that we all may obtain eternal life. A m e n.