The Royal Invitation!
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and
I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you,
and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you
will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my
burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you,
and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you
will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my
burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
Some invitations are more compelling
than others. Some invitations hold more promise than others. How joyful
to accept an invitation promising love, joy, and peace.
than others. Some invitations hold more promise than others. How joyful
to accept an invitation promising love, joy, and peace.
This invitation carries a melodious song of love with goodness and
kindness. God’s Love is constant with no end in sight. His love is never
less or more.
John 3:16 embodies the Royal Invitation to a life of adventure in goodness.
When we read this verse of scripture, it is so familiar to our ears; we have
forgotten to listen. “For God so loved the world, that He
gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
eternal life.”
Each Word counts. Each phrase counts. And what does this verse say as you
consider each word and phrase?
1. God loves the world
2. How? He gave us a gift
3. The Gift of His Only Divine Son.
4. Why?
5. Whoever believes in Him.
6. Shall never die or perish
7. What then? We will have eternal
life. This will become then our destiny–life without end or interrupted by
death.
life. This will become then our destiny–life without end or interrupted by
death.
What is this life? It is a Christ-Life
as our life comes through Him.
as our life comes through Him.
This
life was in Christ first. In Him was life, and the life was the light
of men. John 1:4.
life was in Christ first. In Him was life, and the life was the light
of men. John 1:4.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.
Where
do we go to find the words to believe? The world’s raucous demand to
listen tries to drown out the Words that Simon Peter said to Jesus. Simon
Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of
eternal life.” John 6:68.
do we go to find the words to believe? The world’s raucous demand to
listen tries to drown out the Words that Simon Peter said to Jesus. Simon
Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of
eternal life.” John 6:68.
Through the Word, we learn the truth. In the beginning, was the
Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He
was in the beginning with God. All things were
made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.
John 1:1-3.=
Coming to God is a gift of God… No one can come to me unless the Father
who sent me draws him. John 6:44. It is a double gift, faith in Him
and also the gift of eternal life, or salvation.
Only when we live in Christ, we can bear fruit. I
am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he
it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5. We are the branches and only live through being attached to the
vine.
Passing from death into life is not waiting but happens instantly without
interruption. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word
and believes Him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into
judgment but has passed from death to life. John 5:24.
What is this eternal life? And this is eternal
life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus
Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3. This ‘knowing’ is the intimate
personal relationship we have with God the Father, and His Son, Christ
Jesus.
This relationship is not interrupted by death. Jesus said to her, “I
am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though
he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in
me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
How can this be? “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks
on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will
raise him up on the last day.” John 6:40. In the resurrection, we will have
bodies like the body of Jesus.
And what is the final understanding? We will have ‘eternal life’ and we
will know forever and forever in being with our Lord and Savior. We
will have the reality of the promise given in John 14:1-3. “Let not
your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my
Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you
that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself,
that where I am, you may be also.”
Will you accept the Royal Invitation to a life filled with the sweetness of the
Fruit of the Spirit? But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things,
there is no law. And those who belong to Christ
Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:22-23.
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