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The
Greatest of These
Bernie L. Gillespie 8 June 5, 2000
All Rights Reserved
THEME: Faith in what Christ has done and will do frees us to love God and love others now. Twin Pillars At the front the Temple of Israel God had Solomon place two high pillars. One was Jachin and the other was Boaz. We have two pillars on each side of the doorway of life. The past and the future. These two pillars so dominate our lives that our present life is, in many ways, controlled by them. Many people are disabled by their disappointment with the past. The other group is stymied by their anxiety over what the future will bring. Both of these groups are defeated in their relationships and perpetually struggle to love others - even God - because of their gigantic concern over the past and the future. The Past "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Martha fretted over the past. She was overcome about what did not happen. Jesus' help was long overdue. She loved the Lord, but still was disappointed that He did not act sooner - to spare her so much grief. This is just like too many of Jesus' modern disciples. Like her, we are blinded by our negative past experiences to the present gifts of grace which Jesus bears. My brothers and sisters, let me be pointed. We must not dwell on our past injuries when Jesus comes to give us so much right now. The Apostle Paul announced, "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." The time comes in our journey when we must accept our past and move on in Christ. Through faith in what Jesus has done, both in the past and what he provides in the present, the power of the harmful past is nullified, and our lives are redeemed. The Future "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Again, Martha misunderstood the moment. She could not see that future hope in the Sovereignty of God opens up the present to Christ's power. Anxiety and fear can rack our minds to the point that we cannot trust Jesus now. Nevertheless, Jesus was there in Martha's "present" to give her family new life. After Jesus' crucifixion, His disciples were frozen by fear of what the Romans or Jewish leaders would now do to them. The could not see the new passage ways into the future that Christ's death had opened for them. They could only cower in dread of the changes and transitions that they had to face. Listen to what Jesus told them: "Lo, I am with you even to the end of time." Hope is trusting in what Jesus has promised. "I go to prepare a place for you." Hope frees us from the power of uncertainty with which the future threatens. "My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand." John 10:29 NIV I Am the Resurrection Jesus resoundingly assured Martha, "I AM THE RESURRECTION." He has come to give us life RIGHT NOW. Jesus - our new door way of life - has removed the twin pillars of fear and despair. Through his death he has removed the evil powers of the past. Through his resurrection he has paved a high-way of hope into the future. This work of Christ allows all of His children to view themselves as dead to the sins of the past while counting themselves alive to God in the hope of eternal life. Our faith, which places us in Christ, frees us from fear, to love Him and others right now in the present moment. "Perfect love drives out fear." I John 4:18 NIV The Greatest of These is Love Wouldn't it be great to love God and others without pretension and ulterior motives? Don't you long to stop the game-playing in your relationships and just serve people selflessly with out fear or worry of what might happen? You can! That is what God intends. "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God." 1 John 4:7 NIV The Gospel embodies faith, hope and love. Jesus took care of our past through His sacrifice on the Cross, he secured our future of eternal life when He rose again. He perfectly portrays to us the love of God in both: "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 NIV When the past is conquered by faith in Christ, and the future is tamed by hope in Jesus, then the present is reborn to be offered to God freely. We can love God without ulterior motives. We can live in Grace and love others. We are freed to forgive and be merciful, because Jesus has our whole past, present and future in his hands. One day, faith and hope will not be necessary. All that will remain is love. And we will love God and others out of a pure heart, without the taint of sin, absent of Satan's temptation and immune to the pull of this World. This will the great wonder of Heaven: To love God and one another endlessly out of a pure heart. Heb 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." NIV |
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