to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness".
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I like this prophesy concerning the Messiah. He will "bring justice to the nations" but, "He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out". Normally, we tend to believe bringing justice requires a bit of heavy-handedness. You know, putting the "fear of God" into people.
When we look back we see Christ was never heavy handed. He was kind and patient. But, of course, He didn't come the first time to bring justice. He came to bring grace and mercy. I'm curious when I hear friends suggest Christ's second coming will show us a remarkably different personality. He will be aggressive. He will be uncompromising. He will be vengeful. After all, that's what it takes to properly mete out justice.
We know He "will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth" but...what would it look like if the same Jesus who comes again could manage to render perfect justice but do it in a kind and gentle manner? We have a clue in the 6th and 7th verses. “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
God calls all humanity in righteousness...which means His reasons and desires for calling us are perfect and holy...not self-serving. He has no "ulterior" motive other than to live in loving relationship with us. In order to accomplish this He has to "open our eyes"...help us see Him for who He is and ourselves for who we are...unworthy. This was accomplished by establishing a covenant that freed us from the power of sin ("if we confess our sins he is fiathful and just to forgive our sins"). We can now focus on the love and grace of God rather than on our own unworthiness.
For those of us who are believers our eyes were opened when we believed the death and resurrection of God's Son was sufficient to redeem us. As we know, there are countless folks who have no interest in that covenant of grace and mercy...they don't believe they need either.
I suggest the when God returns to establish justice it won't look anything like ISIS. I suggest is will be a gentle...but piercing...iteration of the truth. The only sword He will lift will be the sword of the Spirit. It will cut to the "joint and marrow" of every human heart and we will all know our transgressions. And, just like Israel, when we see finally see the truth we will say Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned?. None of us will say "I don't deserve this punishment".
My point is simple. Why do many of us proclaim the truths of Christ in a manner that looks more like ISIS than the Lamb? We are often judgmental, mean-spirited and arrogant. We demand the worlld
Our arrogance is counter to the personality of Christ. His presence is sufficient to open people's eyes. We prefer to use a baseball bat. And to think...His presence is in us today. That's really the only tool we should need to win people to Christ.
Live boldly out there today...
When we look back we see Christ was never heavy handed. He was kind and patient. But, of course, He didn't come the first time to bring justice. He came to bring grace and mercy. I'm curious when I hear friends suggest Christ's second coming will show us a remarkably different personality. He will be aggressive. He will be uncompromising. He will be vengeful. After all, that's what it takes to properly mete out justice.
We know He "will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth" but...what would it look like if the same Jesus who comes again could manage to render perfect justice but do it in a kind and gentle manner? We have a clue in the 6th and 7th verses. “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
God calls all humanity in righteousness...which means His reasons and desires for calling us are perfect and holy...not self-serving. He has no "ulterior" motive other than to live in loving relationship with us. In order to accomplish this He has to "open our eyes"...help us see Him for who He is and ourselves for who we are...unworthy. This was accomplished by establishing a covenant that freed us from the power of sin ("if we confess our sins he is fiathful and just to forgive our sins"). We can now focus on the love and grace of God rather than on our own unworthiness.
For those of us who are believers our eyes were opened when we believed the death and resurrection of God's Son was sufficient to redeem us. As we know, there are countless folks who have no interest in that covenant of grace and mercy...they don't believe they need either.
I suggest the when God returns to establish justice it won't look anything like ISIS. I suggest is will be a gentle...but piercing...iteration of the truth. The only sword He will lift will be the sword of the Spirit. It will cut to the "joint and marrow" of every human heart and we will all know our transgressions. And, just like Israel, when we see finally see the truth we will say Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned?. None of us will say "I don't deserve this punishment".
My point is simple. Why do many of us proclaim the truths of Christ in a manner that looks more like ISIS than the Lamb? We are often judgmental, mean-spirited and arrogant. We demand the worlld
Our arrogance is counter to the personality of Christ. His presence is sufficient to open people's eyes. We prefer to use a baseball bat. And to think...His presence is in us today. That's really the only tool we should need to win people to Christ.
Live boldly out there today...
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