Thursday
12-1-16 Bella Vista, Corrientes, northern Argentina
Today we
read Romans 5 - 8
S. Rom 5:10-11 For since we were restored to friendship with God by the
death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be
delivered from eternal punishment by his life. So now we can rejoice in
our wonderful new relationship with God — all because of what our Lord Jesus
Christ has done for us in making us friends of God. NLT
O. We were all in the same boat,
infected at birth by our earthly father, Adam’s, sin… a condition passed on to
our parents and which placed us as enemies of God. But in His great love,
God stepped in and provided us deliverance from eternal punishment by
sacrificing His only Son. This was His initiative, not ours. He has
opened the door to allow us to become friends with our Creator God instead of
being aligned with His enemies.
A. Can it be true? Can a
feeble human being, a stumbling, fallen, creation of Our Maker, be invited to
be His friend? It could never have happened without the intervention of
Jesus Christ. I am reminded of Jeremiah’s invitation to the Potters
house. Only a chunk of clay becomes a vessel, but alas, it is found
flawed and useless… but the Potter does not throw it out, instead he picks up
the debris, wets it down and sets it again on the wheel… to make a brand new
and useful vessel from the same chunk of useless mud. But to call this
piece of restored art His friend?! That is huge!
P. Lord, as Your friend I have
access to Your dining room at any time. You do not throw me out for
interrupting your day, instead You open arms of love and invite me in! I
am the only one that can interrupt that friendship by drifting away, lured by
the attractive illusions of Satan. And even then, You allow me to come
running into Your arms of mercy. Surely there is no other friend like
You! Amen.
Ralph
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