Sent on December 30, 2015
Greetings,
I am always amazed at the depth of the redemption story.
I remember hearing about a fine upstanding believer who was always known for his kindness and devotion to the things of God.
He spoke of his thankfulness to God for saving him from a destructive lifestyle of drugs, alcohol, and a broken marriage. After the testimony someone came to him and said, “brother, I didn’t know you were in the depths of the destructive lifestyle you mentioned.”
The one who was testifying said, “I wasn’t in the depth of that destructive lifestyle; Jesus saved me from that lifestyle.” What he meant was that he realized that without Jesus we all have the potential to live a life of disaster, no matter how good we might think we are.
One of the greatest miracles is when someone who has never been caught in a destructive lifestyle still feels an overwhelming sense of gratitude to God for keeping them on the right path.
Scriptures tell us, “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”.
Everyone needs a savor and it’s the same blood that redeemed the worst of us that also redeems those who, for the most part, have followed God all their lives. Those who have been washed by the blood of Jesus are blood relatives, therefore we must treat each other as the treasure that God made us to be.
The Father said this about you in Jer 29:11: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
What thoughts do you have towards someone who may have jilted you or left you feeling a sense of shame?
By faith walk in obedience to Eph 4:32: “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.”
Your reward is peace on earth and treasure in heaven.
Love to all,
PB
P.S. The most popular article on the Faithworks blog at the moment is “5 Movies with a Christian Message”. If you haven’t read it yet, you can find it here.