Nougat 13

There is something to be said about the connection between hearing God and knowing one is forgiven. Today’s Holy Nougat tells us more:

“The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Hearing God: Reconciling Grace

He Knew me, yet He loves me/ He Whose glory makes the heavens shine/I’m so unworthy of His mercy; When He was on the Cross, I was on His mind

That’s the fact and ministry of Reconciliation right there in a nutshell folks; or rather, in a chorus. Romans 5:8-9 says God’s Love toward us is So Great, that Jesus came to die in our stead while we were still unbelievers; and so, we, justified (made right and sanctified) by His Blood, have escaped eternal damnation.

Sometimes when we hear the Resurrection and Passion message, we miss the fact that Jesus’ ‘crime’ was declaring His divinity. For if Cesar was god and emperor, there was no room for another. Particularly One Who transformed the lives of others with a word, a touch or an invitation. His declarations that His arrival and ministry was for the sinful who sought to repent and that in Him is abundant life didn’t sit well with His peers, the religious leadership, either. Yet, that’s what He did.

We are counted amongst those unknown sheep in John 10:16. The sheep who’ve been brought into the fold, who now worship Adonai God in Spirit and in Truth. We’re reconciled with God in Christ! All that and more is encapsulated in Jesus’ being crucified (see 2 Corinthians 5:18-20). And He was surely tempted to say ‘No’ to Abba (see Luke 22:42-44). But He didn’t. He chose us! Having chosen and followed through the Way of the Cross, Jesus forgave, committed Himself to Gods care, declared His Life’s Work finished, and gave up the ghost.

Though His earthly task was complete, there was more being done in the realm of the spiritual. For Jesus opted to release captive lives from the grave, conquering Death totally and finally. And, having returned as concrete proof of what He’d done, Jesus ensured that His witnesses were totally equipped to share the story (ie the Gospel). If that wasn’t enough, He ensured that the Paraclete replaced Him; to remind, confirm and guide. All that is part of the package deal of cleansing our sin. For, once cleansed, we get Full Access and Adoption Rights to Adonai! Yes indeedy.

I pray today that we hear God, in Jesus Christ, telling us today that we matter. In fact, we’re ‘to die for!’ And if we’re to die for, and Jesus lives, then we’re also to live for! See Jesus’ outstretched hands right now and hear Him say to us, ‘I love you this much!’

Receive and respond. Selah

—

May all we seek be found in Christ