Bible Shorts

The gospel of Jesus is unique in so many ways and not least in the way God deals with His enemies today.

First of all, let's see what it is that brings people into enmity against God; it's sin - that element in us which drives us from God, where we don't want to bother thinking about Him too much, we don't want to consider that we actually owe Him an explanation for any of our actions...... we refuse to hold ourselves accountable to Him.

How then does God deal with His enemies? Ask any Christian and they'll tell you "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life" (Romans 5:10).

The Bible says that while God could see us in our sin and selfish ways, far from getting angry and promising to wipe us out, make us low or force us to accept Him against our will, He did something remarkable..... something that no other god or deity has ever done or can ever do; "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

In the New Covenant, we have a way to find God and be accepted by Him as one of His own children and this is free. You don't have to sell books, blow up infidels or destroy any 'Great Conspiracy', just believe in Jesus.

Every Christmas we hear the words of Luke 2:14; "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased". Where is this peace? This is the peace of God, from God where He has made us, His enemies, His friends and adopted us into His family!

Romans 6:23; "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord". Heck, you have to work to die, but eternal life is the gift of God!

Will you accept it?

Mark 12:28-31 has someone asking Jesus about the greatest commandment. The answer Jesus gives is simple; "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH" and the second is "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF". He then concludes by saying that there are no commandments greater than these.

I often get hassled in work because I get my priorities wrong. I may work on a job at the expense of a more important job and so I get my skull cracked.

How often does this poor prioritising take place in our spiritual lives? Do we pursue other, valid and important issues at the expense of these two commands? Do I allow myself to think ill of someone, but 'make up for it' by telling someone else about Jesus? Do I take pride in my ability to do various things 'for God', yet am untouched by the fact that my love for God doesn't involve the whole of my being?

Why chase after ministries and purposes when these remain unresolved?

When Jesus was being tested by these questions, the religous authorities were trying to catch Him out, trying to get Him to incriminate Himself through His answers to their clever questions, yet what He spoke are not only true, but cut through what they were trying to achieve for He made clear that they were breaking these first commandments. They didn't love God, they knew His law, but not Him and they preferred to impose their traditions on the people, traditions which were validated (in their eyes) since they were loosely based on God's law. but in so doing, they were failing to love their neigbours (and Jesus was clear in another parable about who He considered their neighbours).

What are your priorities? Are you chasing very important issues at the expence of these even more important issues?

Psalm 139:2 says ".... You understand my thought from afar".

The number of times I have been misunderstood would hardly shock you if you ever got to know me personally. I try to do right, and I offend people. I try and help, and I hurt people. It seems that no matter how hard I try, no matter what I say, I do wrong and people think I'm either having a go at them, insulting them or suggesting that they're somehow evil.

This frustration has tended to stretch into my prayer time as well where I say something to God and then say something along the lines of "No Lord, I didn't mean it to come out like that, what I wanted to say was......" and I get myself tied up in the same awkward knots with God.

But there's no need for such a thing to be because God understands what I'm trying to say, He can see my heart. When I remember this, I find it a great comfort that there is someone who understands me.

You may feel misunderstood, you may even have been in the situation where someone says that they understand you only to go on and make it clear that they don't. But God does, and He knows not only what you're trying to say, but what you're feeling and He understands you better than you do.

The Psalm says that God can, even from Heaven, understand your thoughts. How much more if He lives in your heart through salvation!?

And when those thoughts which God understands come out in words, don't worry if the words don't sound right, "Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all" (Psalm 139:4). He understands the thoughts, so He fully understand and knows what you're saying.

People may turn their back on you because they've misunderstood you, but God knows what you're trying to say! You know what I mean?

Romans 5:20 says this; "The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more".

The law was given by God so that we could see our sin, after all, how can anybody know that they are doing wrong unless they are told. And so, as the law was given, man would become more and more conscious of sin.

Oh, how being conscious of sin can hurt! Being aware of one's failings, flaws and sheer patheticness (if there is such a word) can be so demoralising. But when God brings our sin to light, when He points the finger and shows you where you are in rebellion to Him, He does it so that He can bring you out of it.

While common sense may tell us that the more we've done wrong, the more punishment we will get, God's word says that the more we've done wrong, the more grace will be poured out to us that we may be forgiven.

Look at what the verse above says, that where sin increased, grace all the more abounded!

I so often get myself caught up in guilt traps, but it's good to know that no matter how bad I may feel, by faith I know that if I turn to God, He has more than enough grace to meet my need!

Since I can remember from my youngest Sunday School days, I've been taught that God knows everything about me. He knows how many hairs I have on my head, He knows my DNA, when I get up and when I go to sleep. I've always been told that He knows absolutely everything. So what does this Galatians 4:9 mean when it says;

"But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?"

Paul is saying that these people of Galatia have come "to be known by God". How can this be?

In talking of our seperation from God, we always talk about how, because of sin, we cannot reach God and that the bridge of salvation built by Jesus has given us access to the Father.

But we must also remember that salvation for us, salvation from death, has also given the Father access to us, access He didn't have because He cannot tollerate sin.

So after Jesus made the way clear for us to have fellowship with God, He could come to know us in a way that can only be achieved through prolonged fellowship.

God delights to have fellowship with you, and He went to great lengths in order to achieve that. But if you don't want the fellowship, then look at what can happen - Matthew 7:23 has Jesus saying to those who had prophesied, cast out demons and performed many other miracles in His name; "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness".