Why doesn’t God bring his
beloved children into his kingdom immediately after the rebirth in Christ?
Instead, why does he leave them on the earth for a while? So, why does he let them
struggle and suffer quite a while in this earth? Jesus says that he is sending
his disciples among the wolves. Is it not too dangerous to put his sheep among
wolves? Yes, it is dangerous and perilous and risky to live in the world. No
doubt. But God remembers his children and knows how to protect them from all
sorts of dangers and perils. In fact, he is in charge of taking care of them
because he has sent them out all over the places in the world. He is the
commander in chief and takes full responsibility for the safest passage to
salvation though we may not see and understand how he is. Jesus Christ promises
his disciples that he will always be with them, to the end of the age (Matthew
28:20). The reason God let us stay in the earth for a while as sojourners and
strangers is to learn how to handle lives in Christ. Trials and sufferings in
our midst are divinely and even mysteriously designed by the hand of God even
before the creation of the world. We have so many things to learn on earth to
prepare for the ages to come, especially the mysteries of God. Apostle Peter
teaches us that we are all a holy priesthood in Christ, offering spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God. Once we were in darkness, but are now in
wonderful light. Once we were lost and blind, but now are found in Christ. One
we were not his people, but now we are his beloved children.
“Therefore, rid yourselves of
all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like
newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in
your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter
2:1-4)
This is essentially part of the
previous chapter. Having been redeemed and transformed with the unfathomable
price of the blood of the Son, we ought to rid ourselves of all malice and all
deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Of course, we know that it
is not possible to do all that with our flesh and blood but only possible in the
Spirit. It will be so natural that we’ve been made and able to knock down all
the evils in Christ for the power of God has been given to us. But it is not an
easy passage to learn this truth. It is a long process in time and space to
grow up in our salvation which we will experience the fulfillment of God’s
promises. Growing in the faith of Christ is solely dependent on God according
to his divine program even before time began. What we need is to keep on craving
pure spiritual milk, the words of truth. Babies grow just like that. There is no
other way for the salvation of lives than the total reliance on Christ and his
work on the cross and the resurrection from the dead. If anyone builds a house
on other grounds than Christ Jesus, they will be ashamed when storms strike. Anyone
in Christ may have tasted that the Lord is good if truly born again through the
blood of Christ. The Lord is good doesn’t mean that he is like a good uncle or
neighbor who seems nice always, but that he is always holy and righteous. The
Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is not changing case by case,
though different infinitely person by person. He remains the same as a holy and
righteous God. So, no one can escape the wrath of God whenever and wherever and
whatever violated the supreme laws of God. On the other hand, if we keep the
commandments of God, we will have peace and rest in him.
“As you come to him, the living
Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like
living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood,
offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in
Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious
cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Now to
you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The
stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone that
causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because
they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. But you are
a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession,
that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his
wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;
once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:5-10)
Jesus is the living Stone which
was rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him. The language ‘Stone’
is used to indicate and impress the sense of immovability and fixedness. A
building is relied on a cornerstone to stand up straight and firm. If anything
in the building doesn’t depend on the cornerstone it wouldn’t be able to escape
the severe loss. That’s what it means Jesus is the living Cornerstone. If
anyone doesn’t believe in him, they will not be able to escape the righteous judgment
of God on the Day of the Lord. People who reject him cannot find a way out on
the last day. Anyone, however, trusts in him will be saved safe and secure in
the midst of challenging and dangerous lives on earth. “For God so loved the
world that he sent his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) The Messiah came to the world
according to the Scriptures. But when he came into the world, into his own
people, they didn’t recognize him, nor accepted him as the Promised One to
come. Despite of the evidences which could prove him that he was, the people
rejected and handed him to the hands of the Gentiles to crucify him on a cross.
Indeed, they crucified the Blessed Lord Jesus Christ. But the Lord crucified
was raised from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures. The
power of death couldn’t get hold of the Lord in the cold tomb. On the third
day, the resurrection power of God made the dead alive forever. That much power
has secured the cornerstone into its right place forever. So, how much are we
supposed to rely on Christ? Everything, from A to Z. Why? Because he is the
giver of all things, life, love, peace, joy, power, authority, praise, honor,
glory. He created all things that has been made for him and through him. He is
the head of all things. He is the beginning and the end. He knows all and all
things will be united through him. “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth
and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know
me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen
him.’” (John 14:6-7)
As we come
unto him, the cornerstone, we also, like living stones, are being built into a
spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. In Christ, we also are like living
stones because we are being built into a house where our God indwells forever. The
image of stone is used to indicate the irrevocability of God’s high calling
(Romans 11:29). Our God is steadfast and faithful to keep all of his promises.
With what purpose are we called as living stones? To be a holy priesthood,
offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Levitical
laws teach what the work and service of priesthood is. The priests offer
sacrifices on behalf of the people who bring the gifts and sacrifices to God. Only
the Levitical priesthood can serve the Lord, entering into the holy place to
offer sacrifices acceptable to God. Only the high priest is allowed to enter
into the holy of holies once a year. No ordinary man is allowed to enter the
holy place. If they attempt to try to enter the forbidden place in the
Tabernacle, they should pay the price of life. Why does God strictly forbid
non-priesthood to enter into the holy place at all? Because he is holy. Without
the help of priesthood, no one can come to the Lord according the Law of Moses.
That’s why anyone in Christ is
called a holy priesthood. Without being made a royal priesthood and a holy
nation, no one can access to the holy resident of God. The Holy Spirit of God
has made his holy resident in our hearts at the most exquisite moment of
conversion experience through the blood of Christ Jesus. We’ve been cleansed
and purified by the blood, and so God has made his indwelling place within us.
We’ve been delivered and liberated from the bondage of darkness and blindness
deceived by the father of lie, the devil. We’ve been called into a marvelous
light and become his sons of light. Every believer in Christ has become his
holy temple. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit,
who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were
bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Corinthians
6:19-20) So, now every person in Christ is a holy priesthood and God’s special
possession, which enables to enter into the holy of holies through the faith in
Christ. What does it mean by that in practice? Romans Chapter 5 explains the
practical application of entering into the holy of holies as a royal
priesthood. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained
access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope
of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2) When Jesus Christ was crucified and died
on the cross, the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom, giving the
access to enter into the throne of grace, the holy presence of God through the
faith in the Lord Christ. In Christ, we are able to enter into the throne of
grace ten times, one hundred times, even one thousand times a day. But not
without going through the way of the cross! No cross, no resurrection. No death,
no life. In practice, it means we accept and believe the fact that we died with
Christ and were buried with him and on the third day raised from the dead with
him. Jesus is still telling, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny
themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to
save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”
(Luke 9:23-24) Our merciful and graceful Lord Jesus gave a Samaritan woman a
living water welling up the eternal life. It indicates the Holy Spirit within
us. The word of God is in our mouth and heart. Whenever needed, we quickly and
speedily run for him who indwells within us forever.
“Everyone who drinks this water
will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never
thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water
welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)
April
4, 2018
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2015-2018 David Lee Ministries – All Rights Reserved.
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