“Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.” Ecclesiastes 12:13
Wisdom From God
Part 2
In order to meet the challenge in today’s Scripture that Solomon lays before us, we must first ask ourselves, “Am I reconciled to God?” It is an absolute that God wants relationship with us. He created us to both glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. But, God is holy and man is not. He is morally untainted and we are not. Since He cannot unite with sin, each of us must somehow be rendered pure in order to have relationship with Him. But how can we be cleansed and purified?
Jesus has accomplished this for us. Christ said of Himself in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus sacrificed His sinless life as atonement for the iniquity of those desiring reconciliation with God. A scandalous trade: His righteousness for our sinfulness! Here is the most sacred equation of grace: undeserved merit and favor!
When Jesus voluntarily submitted to His torturous death on a Roman cross, His shed blood atoned for our sin. It was as if He lay down a cross-shaped bridge to span the chasm of our sin to give us access to the Father. Paul spoke of this transaction in Colossians when he said, “And although you were at one time estranged, alienated, and hostile-minded toward Him, yet Christ has now reconciled you to God in His physical body through death in order to present you before the Father holy and blameless and beyond reproach.”
Some thirty years ago, compelled by the Holy Spirit, I personally made that crossing to reconciliation and relationship with the Father. It was with shaky feet, a pounding heart, and imperfect resolve that I ventured across that bridge to begin relationship with our triune God. And it was the wisest choice of my life!
Jesus covered the shameful rags of my unrighteousness with a dearly-bought, luminous robe of purity. No longer was I an enemy of God, but now His own beloved child! Jesus called me “friend” and I began my life journey along the Way of one who follows Jesus.
The world has its beloved fantasy story called “Cinderella,” but the Christian’s superior reality is betrothal to the Prince of Peace for all eternity!
Would you like to know God and the wisdom He gives? Do you want to align your heart and life with pleasing Him? Have you realized that a relationship with Jesus should be the most important and urgent concern in your life? Have you asked the Lamb of God to be the Lord of your life?
“Dear Jesus, it is Your desire to redeem us all. Open the eyes of our hearts to Your beauty and loving kindness. Draw us into adoption as your dearly loved children. Cause us to ask ourselves, “What am I counting on for salvation?” Is it all I can do in the flesh? Or, is it what Jesus has done and offers as grace? In our flesh, we can never pay the price of our sin. Help us choose You, Jesus, and thereby choose life united to You, the Price of Peace! Amen.”