Paradise

And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." - Luke 23:43

As I am studying for the upcoming Labels Retreat I am find myself having a deeper understanding of the grace of God. Try to picture yourself on the cross as Jesus would have been. There are robbers on each side of you. The crowd is mocking you, your body is broken, and your limbs are pierced. You know you must die for the sins of the world but the pain and agony is intense. Then one of the robbers gets it. He repents and puts his faith in a man almost dead on a cross. Can you imagine what joy that must have brought Jesus right before his death? He was able to restore life to a dead person right before he himself would die. Jesus took a man who was labeled a robber and a criminal and labeled him forgiven and free.

John Calvin says, "We ought not to enter into curious and subtle arguments about the place of paradise. Let us rest satisfied with knowing that those who are engrafted by faith into the body of Christ are partakers of that life, and thus enjoy after death a blessed and joyful rest, until the perfect glory of the heavenly life is fully manifested by the coming of Christ."

Today reflect on that Paradise. If you have put your faith and trust in Christ, if you have accepted his grace and forgiveness in your life know that you will be with him in Paradise. Just like the thief on the cross, no matter what we have done Christ has died to set us free.

The Mark of a Disciple

The human race was created to be relational. In Genesis 2:18 God said, "It is not good that man should be alone." We were made to be in community, to have fellowship with others, to be built up and encouraged by the people of God. In order to do this we must first have fellowship with God. 1 Corinthians 1:9 says, "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." Our call is to an intimate relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Fellowship with Jesus marks the heart of a disciple's life, and this fellowship includes trusting him, confessing him, taking note of his conduct, following his teaching, and being shaped by a relationship to him. Is that what is marking your life?

Lets define two terms, fellowship & relationship. First we must understand that once we are in Christ our relationship as Sons and Daughters of God never changes even despite our sin. Just like you can't not be your parents son or daughter. However, our fellowship can drastic change because of sin. When we sin our natural tendency is to run. The last thing we naturally want to do is confess our sin. It makes us feel like a failure and worthless. The problem is in not confessing our sin and accepting forgiveness the feelings of worthlessness continue to build and our fellowship with God diminishes. The mark of a disciple is one who maintains intimate fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to be a people who purge sin from our lives, who are quick to confess sin and accept forgiveness so that we are filled with love for our Creator. The weight of carrying sin is too much for us, that is why Christ Jesus died on the cross, he paid the penalty and God validated his sacrifice at the Resurrection. I want to leave you with a few verses from 1 John that I pray God will use to speak to you today.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:7-9

Putting On Forgiveness

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive." - Colossians 3:12-13

Do you realize that you are a chosen one of God? Did you know that you are holy and beloved by the God of all creation? Seems hard to believe doesn't it? The truth is we must believe this, we must know that we are chosen, holy, and beloved. The reason we must know this is so we can act in accordance to what we are. Everything that Paul lists in this passage are characteristics that flow out of us when we are believing the truth about who we already are in Christ. The problem is when we forget or start listening to the world's perception of who we are and not God's truth. Many times we create labels about ourselves that hide the truth about what God has already said about us. One thing that is hard for many of us to believe is that our mistakes can't label us forever, we are forgiven and free in Christ Jesus.

Of the list that Paul lays out Forgiveness in my experience seems to be the hardest for many people. We tend to have a hard time forgiving ourselves as well as forgiving others. Is it hard for you to forgive? If the answer is "yes" have you then asked yourself "why?" How often do you think about the cross? Are you constantly reminded or do you feel the weight of forgiveness that Jesus Christ gave to us? Or do you have a sense of entitlement? America has taught many of us that we deserve to be treated a certain way, that we have rights, and that we have the right to justice. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but if we really want a right to justice that means we all deserve to go to Hell. If it would not be for the grace of God shown through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ we would still be dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2). When we truly feel the weight of the grace and mercy of God and that we are chosen, holy, and beloved already forgiveness becomes part of our nature. We actually look forward to suffering and showing grace to others because that is what Christ did for us. Many times we want mercy but don't want to give mercy.

My challenge for you today is to put on forgiveness. I learned a few years back to stop saying "I'm sorry." That is not a Biblical response to a sin you commit against someone. A Biblical response is to admit the sin, repent and ask for forgiveness. It is more difficult to ask for forgiveness than to say your sorry. Asking for forgiveness vs. saying your sorry may be more difficult for you but it will build Godly character and strengthen relationships. Today remember the one who forgave you and then put on forgiveness.