2 Corinthians 6:18
18 And, “I will be a Father to you,
and you
will be my sons and daughters,
says
the Lord Almighty.”
Observation:
There is a
distinction between those who live in the light of Jesus Christ and those who
choose to live in the darkness. It is not possible for darkness to be yoked
with light. Light always drives out darkness. Therefore, when the darkness
comes alongside the light it will fight against it, and if unable to push the
light away the darkness will flee. However, Paul sees a troubling situation in
the Corinthian church. The people are trying to live in both fields of light
and darkness. Paul is not saying that the church should fail to love those who
are in the darkness; rather, the call is to be distinctively separate from the
darkness.
The great
promise is that God will be a Father to those who desire to be his sons and
daughters. This is not merely an earthly family structure. God as Father
watches over his children. He trains them up in the way they should go. He
provides for their needs, and he asks them to come and go and be about his
business. When his children are disobedient and sinful he disciplines them so
that they may be brought into a right relationship with him.
As
children, the people of God seek to bring joy to him. They desire to do his
will and seek to do it well. The main difference between children of the earth
and the children of God is that the children of God do not seek (ought not)
after their own selfish desires. To be a son or daughter of God is to have his
Image of pure (Agape) love flowing in their entire being. This can only be done
through the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, his one and only born Son.
Application:
It seems
that the church in North America has at times tried to embrace the darkness. We
have tried to yoke ourselves to it, only to be frustrated by the conflict that
arises. The Church has also spent a good deal of time yelling at the darkness
for being so dark. The reality is that the Church is not able to turn darkness into
light. Only God can do this. The Church is simply to be the Light in the
darkness.
It is in
the peculiar behavior of the Children of God that the world sees the light of
Jesus. However, if our behavior and practices are not peculiar then what
difference does the world see? The peculiar behavior is not that we are perfect
acting, perfect speaking, or even that we are always right (for often we get it
wrong). The peculiarity is that we love (Agape), we forgive, we offer ourselves
to the abuse of those who hate us, and we trust in the Lord regardless if it
makes sense to the those who rail against him.
We are
children of the Living God (Yahweh), we are the brother and sisters of Jesus,
the Christ. When we stumble he lifts us up, when we sin he disciplines us, when
we are broken he heals us, when we cry he dries our tears, and when we die he
resurrects us. We have little to offer God, but as children we offer him or
uninhibited love, and we seek to please him.
Prayer: Abba Father, may I always remember that you love me
as your child. I am precious to you and you are precious to me. I hope the
painting of my life brings a smile to your face, even when the image is
blurred, I know that you see me clearly. May my love for you ever increase. Help
me to shine your image of Light into dark place. Help to not fear any evil, but
to rejoice in your goodness. For you are with me O Lord. - Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment