Reflecting on the Gospel...

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." -1 John 4:9-10

I don't have classes until the afternoon on Mondays and I had a few hours just to reflect and spend time with the Lord this morning. God was SO good to reveal Himself to me today. I've had so much more time to spend with Him since I've been here and I wonder why I so often cut those times short at home. Surely we need to meet with the living God more than we need facebook, or television, or even sleep.

I am doing a study by Daniel Akin called "Discovering the Biblical Jesus," and God really used it, and especially His word, to teach me so much today. The fact that Jesus came to earth in order to receive God's wrath so that I could receive His mercy will never cease to amaze me. This is the gospel: that we serve a perfectly Holy and just God and because of His justice He must demand a penalty for sin. In my imperfection I could never pay the penalty myself. So God, in His mercy, sent Christ to die in my place. When we trust in Christ, Jesus' blood covers us and our sins are forgiven. God views us as holy and righteous in His sight. The penalty and curse of sin is broken through Christ! I love Romans 5:8- "God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!"

Akin goes into detail about what Jesus' persecution was like. As I reflect on Luke 22:39-23:49, I really cannot imagine the anguish Jesus must have felt as he sweat drops of blood. Man, my trials are nothing compared to Jesus having His disciples fall asleep before the very day He would be crucified. Moments when we feel we have been mistreated or misunderstood are nothing in comparison to the mocking Christ received on the cross. How Jesus must have longed to get down from the cross and prove He truly is the All Powerful King. Yet He remained on the cross as a sheep being led to the slaughter for your sin and mine! How amazing is it that those who are in Christ, those who have surrendered control of their lives to Him, are now declared justified in God's sight? Praise the Lord that this justification is apart from the law through faith in Christ by GRACE! ("We know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ" -Gal 2:16). We no longer have to work to earn God's favor or hope that we will somehow make it to heaven!

I love what Akin says at the end of the chapter, "With confidence we can look into the face of anyone and say, 'There is a God who made you and who loves you. Though you and I have sinned against Him and deserve the penalty of spiritual death and eternal separation from this God, He has made a way for all to enter His presence--through belief in His Son, Jesus."

I hope the Gospel has encouraged you today. I hope that you may look to the cross and whatever trial you are going through, you may endure it as Christ did for the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Why should I droop in sorrow? Thou'rt ever by my side!
Why, trembling, dread the morrow?
What ill can e'er betitde?
If I my cross have taken, 'tis but to follow Thee;
If scorned, despised, forsaken, naught severs me from Thee.